One Moment Can Change an Entire Lifetime
by thisiswhyihatemylife
Summary: It was supposed to be a simple bet: to see which one of them would lose their virginity first. Too bad Sasuke and Naruto didn't count on losing their virginity to each other. Yaoi. SasuNaruSasu.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Warnings: **Yaoi (male on male), Sexual Content, Language, Angst, Sad Attempt at Humor, Some OOC-ness (hopefully not too much).

**Main Pairing**: SasuNaruSasu, other pairings may or may not be mentioned.

* * *

One Moment Can Change an Entire Lifetime

O-0-O-0-O

Prologue

It was only supposed to be a bet.

A rather ridiculous bet, but a bet all the same.

It was supposed to be purely simple.

Quick.

Easy.

For _fun._

O-0-O-0-O

Seasonal Leaf Academy, a co-educational prestigious boarding school for wealthy students, wasn't the most fun filled educational program in the world. So to make up for the rather dull existence the students that attended there had to deal with, they gossiped and concocted about the most trivial things.

For example, a rumor that had started with one Shikamaru Nara being a lazy genius had blown right out of proportion to the most unbelievable thing. By the end of the day, students—as well as some immature teachers—had been sprouting such nonsense as the lazy teen being secretly an agent working on a top secret regime meant to better the whole universe.

To an outsider's point of view, it was all childish and petty. But that's what it took to transform a rather boring day into an exciting, adventurous one. And on one such particular day in a crowded yet controlled auditorium, two sets of dark eyes belonging to two different versions of brunette haired teens stared each other down for what seemed like an eternity before the lighter pair of eyes twinkled in mischief and a wide smirk appeared on a feral face.

"You're gay."

The darker eyes narrowed in agitation. "How dare you—"

"Don't try to deny it," the other cut him off rudely, "it's easy to see that you root for the color pink."

Indignant squawks, predicted denials, and boisterous yelling could be heard from most of the female population whom had been at a hearing distance to witness (what they thought) was an outlandish accusation.

How could anyone accuse their beloved prince and heart throb of the school, Sasuke Uchiha, of actually being a homosexual? The boy was intelligent, good-looking, the star of the football field, and was part of the areas most influential families. There was just no way in hell.

A snicker could be heard from across the table from where a group of friends were surrounded. Sasuke rose a delicate eyebrow. "What perchance is so funny, idiot?"

Sasuke's rival and best friend Naruto Uzumaki gulped up the last of his precious ramen before glaring at the older boy. "Fuck you, bastard."

A smirk on the handsome and porcelain countenance of the Uchiha was the younger teen's answer. The sheen of those onyx orbs had darkened as soon as the foul words had left the Uzumaki's mouth. Naruto actually had to lower his eyes to break off the electricity that seemed to bypass between them both.

An involuntary shiver ran down Naruto's back as he thought about the accusation. According to him (and if he could help it, _only _him), what their friend had concluded wasn't too far off. Sasuke had so many female admirers at the academy, and it was just weird how he had never had a girlfriend or had attempted to get one. And on top of that, Naruto could somehow feel the unwanted sexual tension between the two of them.

The shy glances, the lingering touches, and that one time when both of them had gotten stuck in a closet, the time that they had almost...Naruto inwardly shook his head to remove that thought. It wouldn't do his body nor his sanity any good if his face started blushing now.

"See!" Their mutual friend Kiba Inuzuka waved his arms dramatically in mock exasperation at the two of them. "I told you that they fought for the color pink!"

Naruto turned his glare on the dog-lover. "What's all this 'they' stuff?"

Kiba gave the angry looking blond a wolfish grin. "Well...it would explain why you've never had a girlfriend before either."

"Screw you, pooch! I could get laid by any girl I wanted by the end of the week!" Laughter rang around their table at the boy's declaration. "What?"

"Is that so?" Kiba asked, sliding to the other end of the table to wrap a friendly arm around Naruto's shoulder. "Why don't we make this interesting, hmm? Let's bet on it, okay? Prove me wrong, Foxface."

"What kind of bet?" Naruto questioned with a wary sigh, damning the mutt for knowing he could never back out from a challenge.

Kiba's dark eyes landed on the Uchiha briefly, whom had been unsurprisingly quiet through the ordeal, before coming back to look at the Uzumaki. "A bet between you two—to see which one of you will lose their virginity first. The rules are you have to find a girl in this school, no prostitutes, and you only have the semester to do it. If you don't, both of you have to be my slave for the rest of the year."

"And who said I would go along with this stupid bet of yours, Inuzuka?" Sasuke crossed his arms in front of his chest with a haughty look to his face.

"'Cause you know Foxy here won't turn away from a bet, and knowing you always have to prove that you're better than him, you really have no choice, man."

Naruto forcibly pushed Kiba's arm away from him. "Stop calling me Foxy! It makes you sound like _you_ root for the color pink!"

The Inuzuka ignored the blond and focused on the black haired teen across from him. The girls at their table that had heard about the supposed bet had squealed, and were now gazing at the Uchiha with hunger in their eyes. After all, love and sex went hand-in-hand. Didn't it?

Sasuke had a blank and cold expression for the longest time before another smirk appeared. "_When _I win, your mother will be demoted in my family's company."

And with that, the Uchiha stood upward from his seat and headed in the direction of the exit, a group of girls at his heels in exciting chatter. Kiba sputtered at Sasuke's condition and shut his mouth the minute a certain blond grabbed his collar and the two tanned teens were face to face.

"When _I _win this bet, you have to buy me ramen every day for the rest of the year." Naruto shoved the other way before stomping in the other direction the Uchiha had gone to.

Kiba's mouth upturned into a huge smile afterwards, forgetting all about the Uchiha's threat. "It's a bet then!"

O-0-O-0-O

A week later, neither Sasuke nor Naruto had completed the terms of the bet. Despite Sasuke's popularity, the boy was more stubborn than a mule. He had explained that all the girls that had come up to him and propositioned him hadn't been good enough. And Naruto, well...it's difficult to get a girl to sleep with you when they would rather have your best friend.

And to make matters worse for the blue eyed blond, their friends had chosen sides and made their own little bets on who would sacrifice their innocence first. And it just had to be the Uchiha that got the most supporters, along with his fan club, their friends Neji Hyuuga, a brunette Tenten, Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, Rock Lee, and even Kiba rooted for him.

The only genuine people on the blond's side were Shikamaru, Shikamaru's best friend Choji, and Neji's sweet cousin Hinata. The bug obsessed Shino was neutral and Sai...who knew what that penis loving freak ever thought?

Naruto began to feel down the longer this 'simple' bet went on. And even with his outer confidence, the blond knew that if Sasuke really wanted to, he could have lost his virginity a long time ago. It always made the younger wonder what exactly was holding the Uchiha back, unless he really was gay.

Naruto's answer and life change to that question was answered in the middle of September during the beginning of the weekend. It was a cold, autumn Friday night as most students left their dorms to visit their families for the next two days.

Naruto had stayed behind because his business head parents were all the way in Ireland while he resided on the east coast of America. Sure, he could have visited his grandparents but that would have been a waste. It's no fun dealing with a womanizing famous author and a gambling addicted world renowned doctor.

Sasuke along with a couple of their other friends hadn't left either. Naruto already knew why the Uchiha hadn't gone home for the weekend - even with his muddled brain he could tell that his friend didn't have the best relationship with his family.

So, in accordance to the boredom that was Seasonal Leaf, Choji had invited Sasuke, Shikamaru, and him to his dorm for a boy's night. The overweight teen had stashed liquor the previous weekend from his father's cabinet. The four teenage boys took shots from the bottle one at a time while spewing all the nonsense that drunken boys could come up with.

"Slow down, moron," Sasuke hissed to the Uzumaki as said boy took a larger gulp then he should have.

"Buzz...off..." the blond slurred, a goofing smile plastered on his scarred face, "I k-know what I'm doing. Am...I drunk not..."

"W-What?" Choji laughed, clutching his stomach before hiccupping loudly.

"I think he means...I'm not drunk..." Shikamaru concluded, feeling the woozy effects of the alcohol. "Man, what a d-drag."

The foursome talked for another half an hour until Naruto began falling over his own body. When the Uzumaki stupidly tripped over his own hand, Sasuke with a sigh told the other two that he would escort the moron to his room before Headmaster Danzo found out what they had been up to.

Sasuke, feeling a bit tipsy himself, had to literally drag the giggling blond to his dorm room. With an arm around his shoulder and another arm around his waist, the Uchiha opened the door to the Uzumaki's room. Even with the standardized single with two beds, one huge wardroom, an antigue desk, a Dell desktop, a faux fur rug and a bathroom, the place looked like a tornado had hit it.

Sasuke gently brought Naruto to his messy bed, helping him to remove his shoes from his feet. Long pale fingers accidentally brushed on the skin of the blond's toe. Naruto's hand shot up to his mouth to stifle a giggle.

"That tickles."

Sasuke smirked. "I didn't know you were ticklish."

Golden lashes fluttered repeatedly, it was almost seductive. "Just with you," Naruto's head lolled to the side as he came to lie down. "I...kinda like when you touch me."

Sasuke's hand crept up from his ankle to his leg, pushing up the younger boy's jeans to reveal more tantalizing tan skin. "You do, huh? How about here?" Naruto's giggles morphed into chuckles. "Or here?" The Uchiha asked when his hand traveled further to land on the other's lower tummy. The blond's lids shut in slight contentment. The action caused a stirring in the Uchiha's nether region.

"It feels..."

The black haired teen leaned down, both of their breaths escaping to collide with the other. "It feels—what?"

"Nice."

Only half aware of what he was doing, and milking his hazy mind for all it was worth, his lips pressed against a small ear. Naruto's surprised gasp immediately followed.

"How about that?" The Uchiha asked, panting absentmindedly. "Does that feel nice?"

"Y-Yeah..."

Sasuke hands pushed up the scarred teen's shirt to feel more of that warmth he emitted. Naruto twisted his head back the other way to get a good look at the other. What he saw made a pleasing moan erupt from inside him. Sasuke was staring at him the way the other boy's fan club would stare at the Uchiha. He wanted more of this feeling, even if he didn't understand it, he wanted more.

Raising his arm rather sluggishly, the Uzumaki's fingertips touched the bottom lip of the Uchiha. That's all it took for heated lips to crash on his own and for a hot and moist tongue to push passed his lips and explore his equally hot mouth.

The rest of the night was filled with unadulterated passion - hands roaming and exploring a clash of bronze and white cream, clothes being thrown haphazardly to the floor, kisses and sucks hushing pleasure experiencing moans, and two sweating bodies engulfing and grinding lovingly against one another.

O-0-O-0-O

It was only supposed to be a bet.

A rather ridiculous bet, but a bet all the same.

To see which one of them would lost their virginity first.

Too bad the boys didn't count on losing their virginity to each other.

* * *

**Enjoy.**


	2. 1: Sore Asses and Misunderstandings

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

**A/N: **Thanks to all the readers! I didn't expect to get as much recognition as I did, so thanks again. I appreciate it so much. *Does a little happy dance*

* * *

Chapter 1: Sore Asses and Misunderstandings

O-0-O-0-O

_"Maybe _I'm _just not that great."_

_Huff. "Idiot."_

_"What? What I say wrong _this _time?"_

_A long pause, then. "If you weren't that great, I wouldn't waste my time by being around you."_

O-0-O-0-O

There is always a certain uneasiness and awkwardness that follows the morning after a drunken filled pleasurable escapade. What happens during such a time is that you come to the realization that the pleasure and happiness that you had experienced beforehand either had not been planned or had not been expected. So, afterwards, once you reach this crucial conclusion, you can't help but feel a certain emptiness inside that you arguably think you didn't deserve to feel in the first place.

On a chilly Saturday morning in a New England town, a certain blond haired teen had the exact same realization.

The early clouded sky had just begun to transform from a shade of dark cobalt to a mixture of a sunny orange and an ocean sapphire. Even with the haze of the clouds, the sunlight was still bright enough to peek through and arrive at the west wing of Seasonal Leaf. The sunlight forced its way through the slightly askew wooden blinds of Naruto's dorm room, the light traveling for several minutes until it stopped at the foot of the said boy's bed.

Naruto's eyes opened sluggishly, the incessant pounding in his temples and the burning pain down his lower backside making him want to burrow himself underneath his comforters and stay bed ridden for the rest of the day.

Turning over on the less aggravated side of his body, the blond wasn't surprised to find an—equally naked—sleeping body lying down right next to him. The sight of the toned body to his right was enough to bring the heated memories from the night before back to the forefront of his mind, the remembrance of the erotically intimate experience he had shared with his friend the Uchiha.

Contrary to popular belief, having alcohol in your system didn't automatically mean that you would forget certain events that took place before, during, and after consumption. A delicate blush then appeared on the teen's whisker looking face at the thought and he found with dread that the exotic images sprouting in his head had reawakened an excitement in his manhood.

While fidgeting in his blankets to try to distract himself from his now growing erection, Naruto couldn't help but watch his companion as the other continued to slumber peacefully. The ripped muscles and chiseled contours of the pale back facing him made the Uzumaki's minor blush from before start to roam to other parts of his body.

The silky strands of Sasuke's dark hair contrasted beautifully against the white pillows and the clear skin of the darker boy. Naruto had an urge to use his fingertips and run them thoroughly through that same hair.

Naruto lifted his hand to do just that when a noisy rousing was heard and an indignant snort accompanied the sound. Slowly, carefully, the Uzumaki brought his hand back down to rest next to his head.

"You better not have drooled," a familiar gruff voice said rather emotionlessly.

Naruto frowned at the other's words, and somehow brought his hand to the corner of his mouth. He was mortified to find that he in fact had some moisture there. He hurriedly wiped at his otherwise chapped lips and leaned upward in a sitting position.

The movement caused Sasuke to revolve around to face the younger teen. Midnight orbs clashed with morning ones as the two stared at one another far longer than was necessary. The intensity of those dark eyes increased the red tint on Naruto's face into ripe tomato status. Was it even possible to have blood rushing to your body that many times without it affecting your health?

A sudden warmth came on his tanned forehead and Naruto's eyes widened in surprise when he witnessed Sasuke's hand brush at his bangs in what could only be described as tenderness. Affection even swam in those obsidian eyes before Sasuke saw the disbelief on the blond's face; his expression then masked itself back to its usual blankness.

"Tell me how you feel." The dark haired teen said with an outward coldness.

Naruto rolled his eyes and slapped the other boy's hand away. "Jeez, Sasuke, you can at least ask me a question." Sasuke resumed looking at him with no expression. The younger started with annoyance laced in his tone. "Okay, fine. To tell you the truth, I have a bitch of a headache and my ass is sore like I don't even know what. Happy now?"

The blond expected for the Uchiha to give his customary sexy smirk_—_wait did he just think of the word 'sexy'?_—_and tease the younger about his unfortunate agony until Naruto became so frustrated that he would run at the mouth. Instead, Sasuke just continued to gaze at him with the same unreadable eyes. The look was beginning to bring an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of Naruto's stomach.

Sasuke seemed to be searching the depths of Naruto's eyes. When he supposedly found what he was looking for, Sasuke then gracefully removed himself from the blankets and stood up giving the Uzumaki a perfect view of his firm buttocks. This, of course, caused more blushing on Naruto's part which made him want to punch something, preferably the gorgeous boy that has just been in his bed.

During the other teen's inner tirade, Sasuke had sauntered into the bathroom. He switched on the light, and rummaged into the medicine cabinet to find some pain medication. When he found some, he put the bottle on the granite countertop and took a plastic cup from the side. He then turned on the facet to pour some water into the cup.

Sasuke walked back into the room minutes later and found to his chagrin that the blond was still sitting down with a pensive appearance. The Uchiha snapped his fingers in front of the other boy's face to get his attention.

"Here," he said, pushing the three pills and cup of water into Naruto's hands rather harshly, "these should help you feel better."

Naruto halfheartedly glared at the other, not at all impressed by Sasuke's attitude. "I just love the way you treat me sometimes." He drawled sarcastically before taking the pills and gulping down the water. "Thanks by the way, you jerk. As if I couldn't feel more embarrassed right now."

"Oh? What? Is that supposed to make me feel guilty? It's not like you didn't want it, too."

_Please, shoot me now. _"It's not just about that, it's also about_—_" Sasuke had unconsciously moved forward, his dick being in clear sight. Naruto spun his body around and covered the side of his face with his hand. "About the way you're acting towards me."

"You've known me for almost ten years. You should be used to the way I act." The Uchiha rolled his eyes. "And stop covering your face. It's not like you've never seen me naked before."

"That's not the point!" Naruto nearly screamed, clutching his head in his frustration. "This situation couldn't be any more backwards. I mean, we were supposed to lose our virginity to girls, not to each other! And yet, you're acting like you could care less about it."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed to slits. "This is not just my fault_—_"

"I know it's not only your fault!" The blond did scream that time, releasing his already spiky hair from his hold. A serious look overcame the tanned face of the Uzumaki. "We...shouldn't have done this, Sasuke. This shouldn't have happened." A flash of hurt settled in the older boy's orbs. Naruto was confused by this and started talking fast to explain himself better. "B-Besides, if Kiba finds out what we did, he'll never let us live it down, and then I won't be able to get my ramen. So, let's just pretend this whole thing never happened and continue with the bet_—_because I'm so kicking your ass!_—_and remain just friends. Okay?"

Naruto assumed Sasuke was going to continue arguing with him. But, to his utter shock, the other male stepped away and maneuvered his way through the room, bending down and picking up his discarded articles of clothing. Naruto then watched as the brunette teen put his uniform back on, the material of the clothes fitting snugly on his body. When the boy was finished getting dressed, he stalked to the door to leave.

"Hey, Sasuke, aren't you going to say anything else..." the slam of the door was his answer, "...instead of having me talk to myself?"

Naruto pouted, and shoved the blankets away from his body, accidentally making the plastic cup he had forgotten about fall to the floor. Getting himself out of bed was more painful than he could have ever imagined. He hissed while he stood upward and limped toward his bathroom, a profound sadness forming in his chest.

He gave a quick glance to his bathroom mirror as he walked, but then did a double take and came back to look at his reflection. Hickeys were scattered all over the boy's collarbone and chest. Naruto clenched his fists as new found anger emerged.

"Damn that bastard..."

O-0-O-0-O

"How're you doing with the bet so far, Naruto?"

Said teen shrugged one of his shoulders at the question, not really being in the mood to talk about what had been plaguing his mind for the last couple of days. He, along with Shikamaru and Choji, were outside of the academy the following Monday morning, lounging at the massive cement water fountain that was centered in the court yard.

It had been two days since he and Sasuke had spoken, yet neither boy was willing to contact nor encounter the other due to both of their prides. Nevertheless, the whole avoiding-each-other-thing was really beginning to take its toll on the blue eyed blond's psyche. Sure, they had had fights before, but never over something so...personal.

"I don't get why you agreed to it in the first place," Shikamaru commented in regards to what Choji had asked, "it all seems rather trouble—"

"Yeah, yeah, with your 'troublesome'," Naruto said rather moodily, taking a sip from his milkshake he had gotten earlier from the student store. "Can you be any more predictable, Shika?"

"I rather that than anything else. Being unpredictable takes up too much time and energy."

Feeling as though Shikamaru was taking a negative shot at his personality, but not having his usual enthusiasm to retort a comeback, Naruto mimicked his brunette friend by tilting himself backwards and gazing at the clouds above. The only sound that surrounded the three boys was the constant crunching and smacking of Choji's potato chips in his mouth.

As there were no classes in session because of the early hour, there were few students to interrupt the serene peace that had enveloped between them. The school's trimmed lawns and colorful greenery as well as the immaculate environment was so magnificent that it could calm even the most high strung of people. It was certainly working its magic on Naruto right then.

Choji thoughtlessly broke the silence. "I do wonder sometimes about what Kiba had said." Both Shikamaru and Naruto turned their attention on the slightly larger teen, so he decided to elaborate. "You know, about Sasuke being gay and all."

Shikamaru grunted in reply, but Naruto squirmed where he sat, aware that a phantom throbbing was beginning to spread around his ass. How come the pain in his behind was making its presence known _now_ of all times_? Stupid, traitorous body... _

"You know how that bastard is_—_he has no interest in anything," Naruto replied enigmatically. _He sure had an interest in you though, _a voice muttered from his mind.

"He's probably asexual." The lazy genius reasoned.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Choji consented, taking another bite of his chips.

Afraid that he may unintentionally give himself away, Naruto abruptly stood up, causing bewildered looks to come from his friends. "I should go. I have class in a half an hour. See you guys later."

Picking up his almost empty cupped beverage and leaving without a backward glance, the blond strolled away and headed straight to his dorm. The guilt and the embarrassment related to the 'shall not be named incident' as he dubbed it was festering to unbearable heights. Of course his clueless friends had to unknowingly rub the whole thing in his face.

He walked across campus and made it to the entrance hall of the academy, the easiest route to get to his room. The hallways were filled with a bit more people, but were still relatively vacant. As he passed the administration office's opened door, the chatter of a few girls from inside halted him in his steps. What they were saying made his blood freeze.

"Did you hear about Sasuke and that Haruno girl? That they went out this weekend?"

"You mean that pink haired chick from our History class?"

"Yeah, that's her."

"Lucky bitch."

"I wonder if those two slept together yet..."

Naruto raced away before he could hear any more of their gossip, accidentally running into a number of his peers as he went.

O-0-O-0-O

He couldn't understand why his heart and body was reacting this way.

It had been approximately four and half hours since he had heard the rumor about Sasuke and Sakura going steady. Naruto knew he shouldn't have believed any of it. After all, his school was known for blowing even the most unimportant things out of proportion. And besides that, it's not like he should have cared whether or not his dark haired friend was in a relationship. He had been the one to say that he and Sasuke should pretend that their night of passion had never happened.

_So, then why do I feel so miserable?_

By the time lunch break commenced, Naruto had begun to avoid all of his friends. He just didn't have the strength as of yet to face them.

He had swiftly ordered his usual ramen and soda in the food line, and then fled behind various students after he had paid for his meal. Before he exited from the auditorium's building, he caught a glimpse of Sasuke surrounded by their friends at one of the tables, and Sakura conveniently sitting next to him and babbling away giddily.

He could have sworn as he left that the Uchiha was glaring daggers at him from across the dining hall. Just the mere thought of having those beautiful dark eyes focused solely on him brought a pleasurable sensation all over the blond's body.

_Sasuke had begun to flutter kisses all over the blond's face after he had released the tanned teen's pebbled nipples from his hungry mouth. He lips then traveled from a damp forehead, to two watery yet lustful eyes, to a button nose, to finally capturing the swollen kissed lips of the Uzumaki._

In an attempt to chase away the sexual memories floating in his mind, Naruto sprinted toward an open field where there was a lone blossom tree planted. He sat himself down underneath it, pressing his back against the hardened bark. He grabbed the fork that was lying on his tray and dug it expertly into his ramen.

_Naruto wrapped his arms around the older boy's shoulders and opened his mouth slightly to let out an exotic moan as a particular thrust angled to hit his prostate. He absentmindedly opened his mouth wider as the force of their lovemaking increased, a line of saliva escaping from his moist lips. Sasuke lowered his head to excitedly lick at the other's chin._

"Naruto..."

_The Uchiha sucked violently on his collarbone, the slight tinge of pain from his exploration adding to the ecstasy that was overwhelming Naruto's body. Both boys groaned in unison; the experience was heightening them to feelings they didn't know they were capable of. All the warmth encasing Sasuke's dick was beginning to be too much..._

"Naruto!"

Naruto blinked his eyes in a daze, finding himself in the same position as he had been after he had sat down—with his right elbow horizontally raised and his hand on the fork that was still assembled in his noodles. His friend Ino just happened to be right in front of him, bending down at his eye level with a look of concern.

"I'm sorry, Ino," Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly with his other hand. "I just have a lot on my mind today."

"Yeah, no kidding. I've been calling you since you sat down. Why aren't you sitting with us?"

Naruto averted his eyes from the other blonde and starting playing with his fork, moving the utensil up and down with his fingers. "I'm not in the mood to be around certain people right now. I guess it's just one of those days..."

Ino frowned in disapproval, not liking that response at all. "Did you and Sasuke have another fight?"

The Uzumaki choked on his spit while a blush covered his cheeks, but tried to cover it up by pretending to cough. "S-Since when are we not...fighting?" He asked rhetorically.

"You're blushing." She stated the obvious with a considerate look on her face. Her eyes then lit up and she exclaimed. "Oh my gosh! Did something good happen? Is that why you're not sitting with us? Did you get a girlfriend? What's her name? Does this have to do with the bet?"

Naruto sighed and dropped his head in defeat as the blonde female next to him continued to ask question after question. Moving the tray away from his lap, the Uzumaki pushed himself up to stand with Ino coming up to his side, still senselessly chatting. He took a step forward but then thought better of it when something occurred to him.

"...I'm actually hoping it doesn't have anything to do with this bet. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love you like a friend and everything, but I got my money riding on Sasuke to win and...Naruto? Are you even listening to me?" Ino crossed her arms and wrinkled her nose in disdain.

While the girl had kept sprouting at the mouth, Naruto had bowed down to retrieve his wonderful meal that he hadn't even touched since lunch started. He then walked passed a ticked off Ino and yelled over his shoulder before leaving her sight.

"There was no way I was going to leave my precious ramen here with you. See ya."

Ino was set out in the open for a few more seconds before saying to herself, "What the hell is his problem?"


	3. 2: Did You Just Invite Me to Football

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

Chapter 2: Did You Just Invite Me to Football Practice?

O-0-O-0-O

By Wednesday, Naruto had exhausted all his usual coping mechanisms and was now more mentally confused and anxious than he had been in such a long time. During the last ten minutes of his Biology class, the conflicted blond ignored his outer surroundings and his teacher's lecturing voice to focus only on his muddled thoughts as he rested his head and elbows down on top of his desk.

The rumors about Sasuke and Sakura had escalated from the two just being in a typical boyfriend-girlfriend relationship to the two being engaged to be married after their graduation so that their families could join businesses and increase the Uchihas' profits. To a certain degree, the rumors really weren't that farfetched; arranged marriages in the corporate world occurred a lot more than what most people thought was possible.

Still, Naruto couldn't fathom the notion that his best friend would stoop so low as to wed a person he clearly had no interest in. The very thought left a bitter taste in his mouth and literally made feel sick to his stomach. Then again, the two had been spotted being together on campus for the last few days...

Beginning to feel the familiar ache in his chest and stomach, Naruto became grateful when the bell rang throughout, signaling that classes were over for a time and that the lunch period had begun. Naruto hurriedly stood from his seat and put his school books in his carrier bag. He then carelessly threw it over his shoulder when he was finished packing to race out of the classroom, refusing to meet anyone's eye or respond to some of the greetings that were sent his way while he sauntered down the crowded hallway.

He entered inside the auditorium in record time, and went through the norm of waiting in line to retrieve his food and to choose one of the tables to occupy as he ate his meal. Even though he had resigned himself to sitting with his friends the day before, he still kept a far distance from them. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Sakura's grating voice or worry about whether or not Sasuke was giving him the ultimate Uchiha glare.

Naruto assumed that his friends would give him his much needed space like they had the other day, but lo and behold, three of his peers came to sit either right next to him or across from him. Shino and Hinata peered at him from the other side of the table with worried looks on their faces...well, Hinata did, anyway. When it came to the sunglasses wearing Shino, one never could quite tell what could be processing in his mind.

The person that was beside him, however, didn't look concerned at all. In fact, Kiba had a wide grin on his face, as though everything was right in the world and only people such as Naruto deserved what they got - a miserable existence.

"Hey, man, what's good?" Kiba's smile seemed to widened, if that was even plausible.

Naruto made a noise of annoyance and slid farther away from the brunette teen. "Can't you go be stupid somewhere else, dog-breath?"

"Aw, what's the matter? Still haven't gotten laid yet, huh?"

"Shut up!" Naruto countered with a red face full of anger, leaning over to hit the tattooed face teen, but missed with an inch of his fingers.

Kiba held up his hands in mock surrender. "Relax, I was just joking. What's got your panties in a twist?"

Naruto hastily stood upward from where he sat and pushed Kiba almost off from his seat, the dog-lover's food tray spilling over onto the floor while he fell on his side. Students that were in close vicinity halted their conversations and watched the scene with surprised expressions. No one had ever seen Naruto blow up like that before.

"What the hell, Naruto?" Kiba exclaimed from his sprawled form on the chair.

"Just leave me alone, all of you!" The blond exploded before taking off in the direction of the exit.

Shino bent down to grab and save some of the boxed food that hadn't gotten ruined from the tussle while Hinata got up and helped Kiba to sit up straight. The brunette teen rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he sat to his full height, the slight embarrassment of the entire incident making his ears burn red. There were multiple eyes still watching the three as they got settled.

"I don't know what made him so pissed," Kiba started slowly as Hinata sat back down. "I was only goofing. He should know that."

"S-Something's obviously bothering him. M-Maybe you should a-apologize." The shy girl pressed her two index fingers together in a nervous gesture that was her natural habit.

"But we're always ragging on each other like that. Why is this time any different? And why should I be the only one to apologize? He _pushed _me."

"You had it coming," Shino replied in a matter-of-fact tone while giving the other boy back his tray and sitting down himself.

"Why is everybody ganging up on me for?" He asked, exasperated. But with the looks his two good friends were giving him, he relented with a sigh and said a minute later. "Okay, fine. I'll apologize to him tomorrow." Hinata smiled timidly in approval.

Meanwhile, Naruto trekked through the hallway with heavy steps, disregarding all the students that were glancing at him as though he had grown a second head. Somehow, he had made his way to the restrooms to the right of him and came into the boys' stall absently. He wasn't able to lock the door from the inside since the room was public, so he opted instead to lean his head against the far wall away from the urinals and shut his eyes in his despair.

"Screw my life," he whispered to himself, willing his eyes to close even tighter.

Refusing to open up his eyes any time soon, Naruto didn't even flinch when he heard someone come inside and walk across the tiled ground. Only when the facet to the sink was turned on did he boldly crack one eye to a slit. With the other eye shut, it was difficult to distinguish who exactly was in his line of vision. Thinking he was acting rather childish, Naruto opened both eyes and then quickly wished he hadn't as his breath hitched in his throat.

Sasuke was standing not even more than ten feet away from him, the Uchiha meticulously washing his hands under the rushing water. The dark haired teen hadn't noticed the other's presence and continued the rinse. Naruto was frozen in his spot, trying to think of ways to slip passed the other boy. It became a lost clause when Sasuke turned off the facet and stepped over to push down on the paper towel dispenser.

As he dried his hands, the older teen's eyes collided with Naruto's as the two boys looked at each other without saying anything. Naruto bit at his bottom lip, but rejected the thought of moving away from where he was standing; he already felt uncomfortable enough as it was. Sasuke made the choice for him though with a last wipe of his finger as the pale teen threw the used paper in the trash bin and spun away from the other.

Naruto was left flabbergasted with the abrupt dismiss that it took awhile for his legs to connect to his brain. When he got over his momentary shock, the blue eyed blond went after the other boy and sped towards him with clumsy footing. Right before Sasuke got a chance to turn a corner near one of the secondary buildings; Naruto grasped onto his shoulder and held on even more when Sasuke tried to shrug it off.

"Wait, I, uh, need to say something to you." Naruto began coming to stand in front of the other, his hand lowering to the sleeve of Sasuke's uniform.

"Why? I think you made yourself quite clear before," Sasuke responded coolly.

Naruto knew a blush had formed on his cheeks; his skin was hot to the touch. "I...well...damn, why is this so hard?" He asked himself aloud, unaware that Sasuke had a bothered look on his face. The other teen was about to walk away again, but Naruto stopped him before he could. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" His voice then lowered down suddenly. "I'm sorry about what I said. I...I just want us to be talking again. These last four days have been torture...and I guess I sort of missed...you."

Sasuke just stood there, stone faced. It really made Naruto want to take back his apology and punch the older teen in the face. Why did it seem like he was the only one that had to do the chasing in these types of circumstances?

Believing that his clarification hadn't gone through, Naruto was about to explain himself once more when Sasuke's silky voice soothed over him. "Come to my football practice later today."

Naruto blinked dumbly for a few seconds before what Sasuke had said registered in his mind. "You're inviting me to your football practice?"

"No, I'm inviting you to my football practice," Sasuke deadpanned.

"But I just said_—_you're an asshole!" Naruto brawled when he figured out that the black haired boy was messing with him, yet the playful smirk emerging from Sasuke's lips brought on a smile for the blond as well and made him feel much better. "I don't get it though," the younger teen then muttered in confusion, "you've never invited me to your football practices. Hell, you don't even invite me to your games. I always just showed up."

"Then show up at my football practice, on the field. It starts at four and ends at seven."

"You're seriously inviting me?"

Sasuke looked positively smug with himself as he jostled the other's shoulder before striding forward, exiting to the other side. Naruto watched him go, his heart pounding harder than it had before. The Uzumaki chuckled to himself a little, glad that his friend was actually speaking to him once again.

O-0-O-0-O

The Seasonal Leaf's glorious football field was measured by approximately three hundred and sixty by a hundred and sixty feet. The playing field itself was immaculate with trimmed lawns of the grass and the surface was efficiently flat, although the middle of it was built higher than the sides to allow water to drain from the said field.

The field was surrounded on all sides with bleachers and polypropylene made seats except for the opening out front that was the entrance and the exit to the place. Seriously, the whole construction looked like a grand stadium. Even as many times as Naruto had been there, the outside never ceased to amaze him with its splendor. It was a little after five thirty when the blond finally got the courage to come from his dorm and witness his friend play in action.

Unsurprisingly, some seats were filled with most of Sasuke's own fan club including Sakura and Ino, the love-struck girls swooning and giggling every time the dark haired boy did so much as breathe. Naruto felt a pang of jealousy at their antics, but swiftly shoved that feeling as far away from his psyche as he could. It wasn't easy though considering how the various females kept going on and on about how handsome he looked in his team uniform.

_Yet, those girls aren't lying. He _does _look...handsome. Shit! What is wrong with me? I shouldn't have thoughts like that about my _male _best friend. _Naruto couldn't help having those thoughts nonetheless as he smiled lopsidedly. The white and blue football jersey and white pants that the older teen were wearing suited him nicely, making him appear as a great source to be reckoned with.

Naruto expected the football players to do some more drills and exercises; so when a formation was used and Sasuke became the center, the blond began whooping and cheering his friend, aware of the looks of either annoyance or amusement from the girls, but not really caring either way. As the evening continued and the lights above flashed on to illuminate the entire field, his screams grew louder.

Standing up near his chair, he waved his arms dramatically and shouted. "Yeah, go Sasuke! You're kicking ass, dude!"

The blond never figured he would be this excited over football practice. He presumed that it had to do with the comfort that Sasuke genuinely wanted him to be there. Naruto's eyes were glued to the talented teen as he sprinted in a fast pace, his teams' strategy having to do with the defense. _Wow, he's amazing..._

"I know, isn't he?"

Naruto jumped slightly in surprise, stunned that a redheaded girl was sitting down next to him. Then, it occurred to him that he had said what he had been thinking out loud. The aforementioned girl just smirked at him, pushing the glasses that were slipping down her nose back in place.

"I'm Karin," the girl introduced politely. "You must be Naruto."

"Yeah," Naruto murmured slowly, suspiciously, "and who are you_—_oh, wait! You must be one of Sasuke's fan girls."

"Ex-fan girl," she corrected, adjusting in her seat to cross one leg over the other. "I know a lost clause when I see one."

"O-kay," Naruto spoke unbelievably and stared at the female with a high level of incredulity. "Anyway, how the hell do you know me? I've never met you before."

"You're Sasuke's best friend; of course I know who you are. You're also the guy that went ape-shit on that dog lover earlier."

The Uzumaki smiled sheepishly, steadily coming to sit back down. "You saw that, huh?"

"Half the people in the auditorium saw you. It was pretty funny actually."

"Is that why you came to talk to me?"

"Not really," Karin replied truthfully, bringing her attention back to the players. "Your friends Sakura and Ino sent me over here to see if you were doing okay. They said that they thought you would be mad if they came instead."

The blond haired teen crossed his arms over his chest grumpily. "Of course they did," he said underneath his breath before he said louder, "and they actually suckered you into talking to me. I don't know whether to laugh or cry."

The bespectacled girl snickered with her hand rising to cover her mouth. "I don't mind, you're fun to talk to. They're just worried about you, you know."

"Well, you can tell them I'm fine. Just had an off day." A whistle blew from below them, and the coach that was orchestrating the practice told the players to line up. Sasuke along with the rest of the guys took off their helmets as they were instructed. Naruto never knew there could be anything sexier - that word again! - than Sasuke's damp hair being plastered to his neck and face.

Naruto was content to gaze at the dark haired Uchiha, and when those onyx colored eyes lifted to glance at him and a small smirk touched those lips, the blond was beside himself. _This day didn't turn out too bad actually..._

O-0-O-0-O

Naruto had waited outside of the locker rooms as the older teen and his team went in to shower and redress. The blond thankfully didn't have to wait for the Uchiha too long; and as soon as Sasuke appeared, the two fell into their old routine of Naruto being the obsessive talker and Sasuke being the insulting listener.

Both boys afterwards made their way through the halls of their school, walking together side by side. Without having to ask, Naruto followed the other to his dorm room. Sasuke had said that his roommate, Neji, was most likely out studying in the library. That was just fine with Naruto. He wasn't quite ready to bring Sasuke back to his room anyway and plus knowing his own roommate, Lee would probably be in the shower himself singing away happily.

He told Sasuke as much and the older boy just snorted in amusement. By the time they reached the door to Sasuke's room, Naruto's cheerful mood had become soiled when the sensation of butterflies floated in his stomach. Sasuke seemed oblivious to the younger teen's inner struggle and opened his door with his card key.

Naruto fretfully strolled toward the bed on the right to recline at the edge of it while Sasuke closed and locked the door. Hiding his eyes behind his bangs, Naruto distractedly fiddled with the cotton comforter with the tips of his thumb and forefinger. He felt the bed dip down seconds later and knew Sasuke had come to sit right next to him.

"We need to talk," Sasuke said with a flat voice.

"I know. About the bet, right?" Naruto questioned without looking at the other.

"Among other things."

The golden teen let out a heavy sigh before moving his body to face the Uchiha. "Sasuke, about that...night, did it really mean anything to you?"

Sasuke didn't respond right away, but when he did, Naruto was sure he had heard wrong, "Yes."

Naruto swore he was in the Twilight Zone right now. "But we're both guys. We shouldn't be gay for each other, we should be doing normal stuff like picking up chicks."

"I never said I was gay."

Naruto had a countenance of skepticism. "I'm no expert on the matter, but I'm pretty sure that if you are a guy who has sex with another guy, you're gay."

"I've only been with you, moron. I wouldn't sleep with anyone else_—_male or female."

"That doesn't mean anything to me."

Sasuke appeared thoughtful as he said bluntly. "I like you."

Naruto whined in impatience, dragging his hand over his face and went to lie on his back. "Yes, Sasuke, we've established that. It still doesn't change the fact_—_"

"Who are you trying more to convince_—_me or yourself?" The blond shut his mouth quickly in his astonishment. Sasuke continued as though he wasn't fazed at all by Naruto's silence. "You say it doesn't mean anything to you, so I'm being honest. You're the only one I like."

"What about Sakura?"

Sasuke frowned downward at the other boy. "What about her?"

"Don't tell me you haven't heard the rumors of you and her being engaged and all that mess."

"And you believe the rumors?"

Naruto rolled over on his side and put his hands underneath his head. "I don't know, part of me doesn't, but you two have been seen around each other a lot lately and I just..." he trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

He didn't even try to stop the older boy as Sasuke lied down as well and hugged the other to his chest. Naruto's head was resting on his upper torso and he could hear the Uchiha's strong heartbeat, a contrast to his own that was beating wildly. Fingers glided through his yellow tresses rhythmically and the feel brought tingles to the blond's scalp.

"Sakura and I are Chemistry partners," the black haired boy started conversationally. "I waited until the very last minute to meet with her. It took longer than I thought it would to finish our project."

"Oh, that makes sense. I guess I overreacted a little."

"A little?" There was total teasing in Sasuke's tone.

"Don't push it."

Silence resumed the room as Sasuke carried on lightly ruffling the other boy's hair. The calm of the atmosphere started lulling Naruto to close his eyes and tighten his hold on his best friend. He couldn't remember a time where he felt so safe. Still, there was more to say and Naruto hated that he had to be the one to address the issue.

"What are we going to do about..." he had wanted to say the 'bet', but his mouth released the word, "...us?"

Sasuke ceased his finger's movements and grasped the younger teen upward so that they were at eye-level. "Go out with me."

_Okay, that was unexpected. _"I...don't know if I can. Will you let me think about it?"

"I suppose." The dark haired teen didn't sound happy about it, but refrained from saying anything else on the matter.

Naruto brought his head back down on Sasuke's chest. The said teen thought Naruto had fallen asleep, but when his voice spoke aloud, the words brought inside him a fantastic feeling.

"Hey Sasuke, thanks for inviting me to your football practice."

A half smile appeared on the Uchiha's face. "Hn. You're welcome."


	4. 3: The Pros Versus the Cons

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

Chapter 3: The Pros Versus the Cons

O-0-O-0-O

The last few minutes of the final classes seemed to drag on pointlessly and repetitively, as though an unknown force was controlling the speed of time and dangling it in front of the poor souls that had to endure its maliciousness.

Sasuke appeared as though he were paying rapt attention to the information that was spewing from the beloved Mr. Iruka Umino's mouth as said teacher swiftly wrote the needed instructions on the board, but alas he just couldn't. It wasn't like he didn't understand the lessons that had been taught to the students beforehand. He had other things to worry, er...contemplate about anyway.

On the left side of him, seemingly asleep with his head down on the desk, Shikamaru had his head slanted to discreetly watch his intellectual equal with a reflective calculation. If he had been anyone else, he wouldn't have noticed the slight twitching of the Uchiha's lips to indicate that the other was upset about something. And the lazy brunette could deduce that it most likely had to do with one annoying yet lovable blond haired, blue eyed knucklehead.

Shikamaru would be the first to admit that he didn't know _exactly_ what was going on between the two of them, although the looks the two would give each other from time to time was much to be desired. Even so, the fact that he was just as baffled with Naruto's and Sasuke's behavior as their group of friends were, was really quite troublesome. And even though both boys seemed to be on good terms, the tension from the both of them was more than insufferable.

As the high-pitched sound of the bell rang and the various students lifted themselves from their chairs speedily in order to exit from the room, Shikamaru detected with a glance of his eye the way Sasuke in all his elegance was packing his bag in a veiled rush. It was apparent that the dark haired Uchiha wanted to be at a specific place, and wanted to be there soon. Normally, Sasuke was as languid with getting his books together as Shikamaru was, but today was the exception.

Shikamaru stared at Sasuke with a shake of his head as the other teen left with just a polite nod of his head to the Nara. Entering the hallways was more trouble than it was worth as some unidentified teenagers brusquely rammed into him without any form of apology. Sasuke scowled at the unnecessary rudeness his peers displayed, but then shrouded his angered expression into a blank face when a couple of the boy's female fans from the mass of bodies cooed at his 'manly attitude'.

Hiking his bag more upward on his side with a flick of his hand, Sasuke deftly passed through the numerous teens that were clustering in his way. He was searching for a head of golden locks, though each time he thought he had found the person he was looking for, it came to a false alarm.

When he got to his assigned locker, Sasuke lowered his bag to the ground to take out his school materials and put them away. His hand was in the motion of unlocking the door via the combination when his eyes caught an uncompromising sight that made him frown.

O-0-O-0-O

Naruto sauntered down the hallway with his friend Choji by his side, the blond unintentionally bumping into others and then giving them a sheepish grin and a quick 'sorry' when glares were thrown at him. Choji was snacking noisily on a bag of Oreo Bites he had purchased at the student store before their last class had started. The two friends decided to stop by the larger boy's locker to retrieve some more of his hidden goodies after they had been dismissed.

As they reached the lockers, Naruto pondered over the day's events—from the rumors about Sasuke and Sakura stopping almost completely to the way Kiba kept shooting him glances during lunch as though he had wanted to say something. Whatever he had wanted to say must have been mortifying because the darker haired teen would shut his mouth quickly each time Naruto looked back at him.

Naruto leaned against the next locker door over when they got in front of Choji's and waited patiently for the other boy. "I'm so glad tomorrow's Friday. This has been one of the longest weeks in the history of long weeks."

Choji inadvertently slammed opened his locker, making the metal handle crash the neighbor's locker unnecessarily. Uzumaki snickered lowly at the other's oblivious plight. Sometimes, the other teen was so unaware of his own strength. He could almost be classified as a gentle giant with the way he went about certain things.

"I hear ya," Choji conceded as he switched his books for his high calorie packaged sweets, "I can't wait 'till this weekend. I'm supposed to be attending this all-you-can-eat gathering as a gift for my uncle for passing his bar examination. What are you planning on doing?"

Naruto shrugged as though he didn't have a care in the world. That couldn't be farther from the truth. "I'm probably going to stay here and chill. I do have a test next week; I'll probably study for that."

"You're going to stay here, _again?_ Don't you get tired of that?"

Naruto removed himself from the lockers and squared his shoulders. "It's just something I don't think about. My parents are in another country and my grandparents are too crazy for my tastes."

"You really need to get out more. Maybe you should come to the gathering with me..." As the portly teen continued with his mild rant of how Naruto 'needed to get out more, and have some fun' and that 'it wasn't healthy for a boy his age to be doing absolutely nothing on the weekends', the blond's eyes traveled about twelve feet away from him, where a certain stoic Uchiha was making his way through the crowd with a regal flaunt and walk.

Sasuke hadn't noticed the younger boy that was blatantly gawking at him. The obsidian eyed boy just maintained his expertise of avoiding any type of slip or trip with another person, and strolled forward with pose. Naruto briskly excused himself from Choji, who just furrowed his eyebrows before going back to putting away his things, and headed in the direction of his dark haired friend when a strong hand dropped on his shoulder and halted him in place.

"Uzumaki."

Naruto inwardly flinched at the outward address. He stood planted where he was, considering just pushing that hand from his shoulder and racing away from the dark figure that was behind him as fast as he could. But yet, he knew doing such a thing would have dire consequences, so instead of running away like a coward, Naruto faced his adversary head on. He peered over his shoulder and gave the man who had him in his hold a wide fake smile.

"Good afternoon, Headmaster Danzo."

The man known as Danzo Shimura looked on with a calm and collected countenance until an enigmatic smirk emerged on his aged lips, his grasp on the younger male becoming a tad bit tighter. Naruto slightly winced, but covered up his nervousness by giving a rather unconvincing chuckle. The blond's anxiety gave the elderly dark haired Headmaster an internal amusement.

Some of the other students glanced at the close pair with curiosity, but didn't disrupt whatever was transpiring. Everyone in their own right mind was afraid or at least nervous when it came to the daunting Headmaster. The majority of the students avoided him at all costs.

"It's coincidental that I ran into you today, boy," Danzo replied impassively. _What coincidence? You more than likely sought me out, _the blond sardonically mused. "I presume you have stayed out of trouble."

"Of course, sir. I have yet to figure out why you would believe such bad things about me."

Bending down so that he could whisper in the tanned boy's ear, Danzo answered derisively. "Because your father was quite the troublemaker. It wouldn't surprise me if you inherited some of his more...unflattering attributes." Naruto went tight lipped as his hands at his sides clenched to form fists.

His father, Minato Namizake, and Danzo had been business associates years earlier, back when his father had just graduated from college. And although both had been held in the highest regards based on their intellect and brilliance, Minato had always been the more popular one with his conventional ideas and had gained more success with his businesses and public trades. Danzo had held it against the younger man ever since then. But for some reason, the brunette man had a sick fascination with his father. It was as though he were juggling between being envious of the younger Namizake and being in awe of him. Somehow, that same fascination transferred onto Naruto. The man did his very best in taunting and intimidating the blue eyed blond without achieving the attention of the school board.

Naruto had a glower to his eyes and was about to retort when a familiar voice magically soothed his nerves and calmed his tense body. Sasuke had come to the rescue when the other would've least expected it.

"I trust there is no problem here, Headmaster Danzo."

Danzo stood back to his upward position and released the blond, the cane he had been accustomed to using making a screeching resonance against the exotic hardwood on the floor. He leveled the Uchiha teen with an unwavering gaze.

"There is no problem at all. I was just having a small chat with young Uzumaki."

"Do such small chats always involve you grabbing onto the students so roughly?" Sasuke raised a delicate black eyebrow condescendingly.

Danzo's indifferent face seemed to flicker with a brief emotion of anger. "You should be clear to whom you speak to so disrespectfully, Mr. Uchiha."

"And I feel that you should be able to do the same." The headmaster bristled at the tone the younger boy was giving. "I think we understand each other. Enjoy the rest of your day." Ignoring the fuming older man, Sasuke set his sights on the golden teen. "Naruto, I need you to come with me."

And with that, Sasuke turned on his heel and walked back to his locker. Naruto didn't spare the older man a second glance as he followed the dark headed boy. He didn't even show an outward emotion when the elder male said quite clearly. "I'm not finished with you yet." He was all too glad when finally he heard the unmistakable _clink-clank_ of Danzo's cane indicating his footsteps moving in the opposite direction. By now, the halls only had a small amount of teens ambling in each route of the block, unmindful of the two boys in their surrounding area.

Naruto came to stand beside the older teen as Sasuke finished depositing his supplies inside his locker. With a loud bang of his locker door closing seconds later, Sasuke spun around to face the whisker marked teen and gaze at him with an expectant stare.

"Well?"

"Well, what?" Naruto gaped back at the other, confused.

"I think you have had enough time to think about what I proposed to you."

Naruto bit at his lower lip for a moment, wanting to avoid this line of conversation. He just wasn't prepared for it, yet. "The one time you ask questions it's either with one word or to butt into my business. I didn't need your help with that asshole, by the way. I could have taken care of it myself."

Sasuke scoffed in disbelief. "I was helping, that's what friends do. And stop trying to evade the subject."

"I...I still need more...time."

"Bullshit."

The blond's eyes widened in surprise at what had just come from the usually unemotional teen's mouth. "What are you—" he was cut off when Sasuke wrapped his right arm around the other's waist and pulled them flush together so that their bodies were aligned perfectly. Sasuke absentmindedly used his fingertips to lift the layered shirt of the Uzumaki's uniform and graze them against the warm skin he found underneath.

Willing his face to not turn red, Naruto settled with a small glare, although if you had asked Sasuke, it would have looked more like an adorable pout. With his fingers continually rubbing against the lower part of Naruto's back, Sasuke looked straight into those mesmerizing cerulean eyes and spoke seriously.

"You're in denial and you're stubborn. Quite frankly, it's starting to piss me off. You shouldn't feel bad about liking me."

"Sasuke..." What was he supposed to say to that? Honestly?

Bringing his hand that had been rubbing the golden teen's back to cup a scarred cheek delicately, Sasuke took a step back and said, "At least admit to me that you find me attractive."

Naruto couldn't help the red tint that came upon his cheeks then, but it was all the more better when Sasuke also had a light blush on the bridge of his nose. That, however, didn't stop him from giving that infamous smug smirk of his. Naruto's own smile appeared despite the profoundness that was happening to the both of them. And as he gazed back at the darker haired boy with, he was sure, the same longing as Sasuke, he began to organize in his head what it would mean if he did agree to go out with the other.

Covering Sasuke's hand on his face with his own, Naruto whispered. "Okay, yes, I _do_ find you attractive." The black haired teen's smirk evolved into a genuine smile. Taking a long pause to collect himself after the breathtaking moment, the blond said with more conviction. "I'll give you my answer tonight, 'k?" He squeezed the hand that had somehow interlaced with his and then removed both appendages from his face. They were just lucky that no prying eyes were witnessing their intimate exchange.

"Good," Sasuke responded as he put his bag that had been left on the floor around his body and began walking away from the other teen. "I always knew you found me attractive just like I always knew you were cute and sexy."

"You can't tell me such embarrassing words while walking away from me!" Naruto shouted, on the verge of having his emerging blush cover the rest of his body.

Sasuke chuckled.

O-0-O-0-O

Naruto was on his way to his dorm room, having separated from Sasuke a half an hour before because the older teen had said he had some business to attend to. What business the other was speaking about, the blond didn't know nor did he really care. He figured he could trust Sasuke now that those stupid rumors about him had died down.

Prior to the two best friends parting ways, they both had agreed on meeting up later in front of the academy before the school's eleven o'clock curfew came into affect. To say Naruto was nervous about the get-together was more than an understatement. It was a downright nightmare. The Uzumaki wasn't sure how he should go about talking with the older teen, let alone saying whether or not he should be in a relationship with someone he used to play in the dirt with.

Due to his clumsiness and his warped thoughts, Naruto ran right into a solid body, and would have tumbled over if he hadn't held onto the railing that led to the stairs of the dorm rooms. Cursing underneath his breath, the blond was about to give the one he had collided with a jumbled explanation when a friendly yet anxious chuckle reached his ears.

"Hey, dude," Kiba stood frontward to the younger boy, checking with his eyes to see that his blond friend was okay. "You got rubber legs or what?"

"Shut up," Naruto groaned halfheartedly, not being in the mood for the other. He was already anxious as it was.

"I didn't mean anything by it. You need to lighten up, Naruto. You haven't been yourself lately," the tattooed face boy replied while he fell in step with Naruto when the other starting climbing the stairs, "and it's a little creepy when you're not your happy-go-lucky self."

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you?" Naruto mumbled sarcastically, but then stopped himself from saying another jibe when he saw the worried look on Kiba's face. He sighed, and then asked calmly. "Was there a particular reason why I ran into you?"

"Actually...yeah. I came by your dorm to apologize. I meant to say sorry to you about yesterday during lunch, but I—"

"Chickened out?"

"...Pretty much."

The two came to stand in front of Naruto's dorm with the blond giving Kiba a knowing look. "Hinata put you up to this, didn't she?"

Kiba gave a discomfited grin. "You know me too well. Yeah, she and Shino were giving me so much crap, but I did feel bad about it afterwards. So...yeah, my bad."

Naruto snickered at his half-assed apology, but found that he couldn't stay mad at the dog-lover forever. "It's alright, man. We're good."

Kiba looked relieved and blew out a sigh. "Now, that we have that out of the way, I really want to know, jokes aside—is the reason you've been acting so weird is 'cause you finally got you some?"

Not even seconds later, laughter and shouts could be heard throughout the corridor of the dorm rooms as Naruto chased down the shaggier teen, with threats of excruciating pain and a prolonged death.

O-0-O-0-O

The grandeur of the academy's medieval styled construction was trivial compared to the blanketed darkness that filled the night sky. The rushing winds in the air could chill a person to their very core, Naruto was just glad that he had thought to bring a jacket and dressed casually. Except for the full moon above, there was no other distraction near the atmosphere—no stars (shooting or otherwise), no clouds, and definitely no planes. It appeared as though they were all hidden from the looking eye for the sole purpose of not intruding on what was going to be a life changing event. The cement walkway's path that led to the entrance was free of any falling leaves from the surrounding trees in the area. And as the said teen sauntered toward their meeting spot, a reflexive shiver came from his body that had nothing to do with the weather.

In all sincerity, the blue eyed teen had thought several times about just canceling their confrontation based on his own insecurities and indecisions, not that he would ever tell his dark haired friend any of that. It also hadn't helped either when, after he had pursued Kiba with murdering intent, the older teen had suggested that the two hang out together since neither one of them had done so in awhile. Kiba's relentless curiosity concerning Naruto's love life was almost enough to cancel out the apology the other had given.

When Naruto finally arrived at the front steps to the building, he was not surprised to find Sasuke already there waiting for him, the pale teen with his own informal wearing leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. _Typical, _Naruto inwardly thought in fond disregard, _always having to be early or on time._

As he came to stand to face the other boy, Naruto was bothered to note that the Uchiha had no external expression on his face. This, of course, made the blond even more scared; he wanted to know what Sasuke was thinking. What was he exactly expecting with this nerve-wracking encounter?

"Hey," Naruto said unevenly, fidgeting on his feet with the way those empty looking orbs were staring at him. He wasn't sure how else he could've greeted the other.

"Hey."

Silence ensued after their hasty responses. Yet, the hush around the two boys calmed the blond somewhat. He expected Sasuke to demand that he give him his answer straight away, but instead the handsome teen just waited patiently, quietly.

Unable to give a verbal response, Naruto leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss on the older boy's lips. It was simple, it was sweet, and it conveyed all the feelings the younger teen were bottling up inside for such a long time. He then stepped backward and watched the other carefully, weighing the good and the bad that had came from the small innocent gesture.

Sasuke took way too long to react; Naruto felt his stomach flop and dropped his eyes to the ground. Only when warmth encased his waist did he look back up in shock. Sasuke smirked, a delighted twinkle in his eye. "I take that as a yes."

While Naruto buried his head in the other's shoulder with a nod, Sasuke tightened his embrace with his blond haired best friend-now boyfriend. He didn't know how much time had passed as he hugged Naruto to himself; all he knew was that he wanted to express his own emotions to the other teen.

Tilting the other's chin up with his index finger, Sasuke brought his own lips to Naruto's in a cover of sensual exploration. The kiss started out slow but grew to become more passionate as Sasuke's tongue licked the seam of Naruto's plump lips. With a gasp, the blond opened his mouth to invite that curious wet muscle to stroke with his own tongue. As the inexperienced yet eager kiss rose in intensity and Naruto circled his arms around the older boy's shoulders, all of his previous troubles went right out his inner window. At least, for the moment.

And as the moon's brilliant brightness fell witness to the two teen's physical revelation, Naruto knew that this was where he was meant to be - safe in Sasuke's arms. He was then reminded of the night where they had given themselves to one another and how he still didn't wanted to lose this feeling, even though neither one of them understood its significant meaning.

* * *

**There you go, folks!**


	5. 4: Look Underneath the Underneath

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

Chapter 4: Look Underneath the Underneath

O-0-O-0-O

_Why couldn't life be kind to him for once?_

_Naruto inwardly cursed his bad luck, fleetingly wondering how and why he got himself in such awkward situations. Because for the past fifteen minutes, he had been trying without success to open the busted closet door he had accidentally shut on himself and his now infuriated best friend Sasuke after the two had been arguing heatedly in the empty hallways beforehand._

_Naruto, in all his pride and anger, had grabbed on harshly to the wooden surface during a particular insult to his intelligence and had slammed it closed, unaware that the door had been smashed internally. But how was he supposed to know that the door was jammed and that the only way out was through the other side?_

_Twisting, pulling, and thumbing the golden knob connected to the door had proven ineffective. Naruto had even screamed himself hoarse for much needed aid, but that hadn't worked either. No one had seemed to have heard the two boys._

_During the blond's futile attempts, Sasuke had stood behind him in the semi-darkness, scowling in blatant annoyance. He seethed even more when Naruto came up with a final unorthodox method of escape—ramming his lithe body towards the hardness of the door. The door itself had shaken on impact; but nonetheless, hadn't budged. Naruto had then slothfully slid down the wall, pounding on it with his fists lazily in a last ditch effort to receive some help._

"_That was a great idea," the black haired boy snapped scathingly, "ramming your body against the door. That will definitely get someone's attention. What's next__—__you're going to try and chew your way out of here?"_

_Naruto threw the older teen a smoldering glare. "This is all your fault. If you hadn't been talking all that shit, I wouldn't have gotten pissed and locked us in."_

"_How is any of this _my _fault? I'm not the idiot that locked us in here."_

"_Stop calling me an idiot! I'm so sick of you saying__—__" Naruto ceased his rant and gritted his teeth as he quivered in pain from the aftershocks of colliding with a solid exterior. Sasuke lost his enraged expression and looked at his friend with a concerned eye._

_Sasuke stalked over and kneeled down in front of the younger boy. "You okay?"_

"_I…I think I might have hit the door too hard."_

_The Uchiha looked over his friend critically, his dark eyes checking and seeing if the other had any outward bruises. Once he deemed that the blond haired teen was doing okay, he absently began rubbing calming circles on Naruto's exposed arm to placate him. Sasuke found nothing wrong with touching the other teen; it all just fell into place naturally for him._

"_I think you'll be fine. You don't appear to have any broken bones," the dark haired teen mused aloud._

_Naruto grumbled, but otherwise didn't say anything. He instead wrapped his arms around his middle and curled more into himself. Whether he did that for comfort, Sasuke couldn't tell for sure. Discovering that his knees were beginning to ache from his kneeled position, Sasuke maneuvered his body so that he could sit down next to the other. A cherished silence fell upon them after that. Even the miscellaneous equipment surrounding them and on the floor couldn't deter them from the inevitable stillness._

_What Naruto and Sasuke hadn't realized just then was that the two of them being stuck in a closet together would have more consequences than either one could have ever imagined._

O-0-O-0-O

"Have you guys heard?" Ino Yamanaka had a mysterious smile on her face, one reserved for when she knew_—_or thought she knew_—_more information than anyone else. When her friends continued to give her either looks of interest or exasperation, the blonde exclaimed quite flippantly. "Mr. Hatake and Mr. Umino are in a homosexual relationship!"

Groans and gasps of disbelief sounded throughout the table of the close knit of friends, the group of students sitting and eating their lunch began to prepare themselves for the worst gossip of the day so far. Ino gave a detailed account of how the two male educators came to be a couple, and the instances of when she had fell witness to their supposed 'closeness'. Needless to say, none of her friends believed a single word that spewed from the impractical blonde female's mouth. Just the thought of those two being together was disturbing to say the least.

Iruka Umino and Kakashi Hatake were polar opposites of one another, after all. The idea of the mild mannered Iruka being in a relationship with the more careless and perverted Kakashi was like comparing Sasuke's and Naruto's personality—it just didn't fit well. Not only that, but Kakashi was the biggest womanizer on campus. You were more inclined to see him chasing unwilling females, not males.

Tenten minutely shook her head at the inquiry. "Impossible. Those two have barely spoken a word to each other."

"Yeah, there's just no way, Ino-pig," the blonde's best friend Sakura argued reasonably, "besides, it's just a rumor that was started this morning. Anyone smart enough doesn't believe that."

Ino scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest snootily. "Well, at least I didn't encourage the rumors about you and Sasuke being 'engaged' when you knew _that _wasn't true." Sakura had the decency to blush in embarrassment. "I don't know what's larger_—_your ego or your forehead."

Chuckles and snickers erupted from the majority of the teens as they watched the two girls' typical banter. Kiba had laughed the loudest, mumbling a quick 'classic' underneath his breath before being hit over the head by a fuming Sakura. The rest of the period was spent with noisy chatter; most of the group of friends talking about what they were planning on doing for the weekend. Everyone around was having a good time conversing in the crowded auditorium. Everyone that is except for Naruto.

The blond was anxious, worried, and most importantly _pissed off._ He hadn't seen nor heard from Sasuke since the night before, when they had become official boyfriends. He had sent several texts to the older boy when he saw that he hadn't attended any of his classes. Hell, Naruto had even called a couple of times! Sasuke had yet to answer any of his messages.

Others had been curious about the dark haired teen's absence as well. It was strange and out of character for Sasuke to just be gone. But taking one look at Naruto's stormy face, they all choose not to ask him questions about it.

What could have possibly happened in less than twenty-four hours to the Uchiha? Was Sasuke in trouble? Was he sick? Was he hurt? _Did he change his mind about us, and decide that he doesn't want to have anything to do with me anymore?_

As the last few minutes before the bell rang ticked by, Naruto hastily stood from his seat and sauntered his way to the other side, near the entrance. Sakura looked as though she had wanted to follow him, but Hinata, being the ever loyal friend, placed her hand on the pink haired teen's elbow to stop her. Naruto came across a trash bin and dumped his food inside deliberately. A shadow suddenly silhouetted from the back of him, causing his shoulders to tense.

The lethargic stance of the figure that came to stand next to him however pointed to just one person; Shikamaru. The pineapple headed brunette was throwing away his own food while at the same time eying the blond haired teen with a contemplative glance. It was clear to see that the Nara was concerned about his friend.

Heading in the direction of their next class a little while after, Shikamaru became a sort of protecting shield that walked alongside the distraught other boy. He just hoped that whatever was going on between Naruto and Sasuke would resolve itself quickly. There was just so much drama one could take.

O-0-O-0-O

For what he assumed was the millionth time, Naruto found himself in his dorm, on his bed, listening to alternative rock through his orange colored iPod on a Friday night. His roommate Rock Lee was on his own bed, twitching his fingers and bouncing where he sat as he read from a paperback book. How the high strung boy was able to fully concentrate on a novel that was more than five hundred pages long was beyond Naruto.

The blond was struggling to keep his wandering thoughts from swaying to a certain someone. Earlier in the afternoon, he had stopped by Sasuke's dorm only to find out that he hadn't been there at all. He had called again numerous times, awaiting a reply, but it was all in void. Naruto's throat clogged as hopelessness swelled up inside him. He had to prevent a low growl from escaping his mouth, that's how frustrated he was.

The night's shine seeping into the room altered into an inky blackness. The windy skies were giving off a rather peaceful atmosphere. By the time ten o'clock came around, both boys were heavily asleep with the lamp light still turned on. Naruto's earplugs had remained, the flickering of his eyelids showing that he could in fact hear the music throughout his subconscious.

An unexpected vibration startled the blond awake as he blindly reached out for his cell phone on the nightstand, merely being half coherent as he took out the plugs. He sat up to flip open his phone only to have his eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets when he finally_—__finally!__—_saw that it was a returned text from Sasuke.

_Where are you? _It read.

Naruto sneered. How dare Sasuke act like _he _had been the one to have been avoided all day! He simply responded with haste, _In my dorm room, where you think? I'm pissed at you, by the way!_

The Uchiha took five minutes too long to respond back, _I'll be there in ten minutes._ Naruto steamed as he thought of the other boy totally disregarding his last typed sentence.

Getting off of his bed, Naruto went into the bathroom to change from his pajamas into a more comfortable attire. Exactly ten minutes later, there was a firm knock at the door. Naruto came out and looked over his shoulder to see if his roommate had awaken from the sound. He was glad to note that Lee was still lying in bed in a serene slumber.

Naruto ambled to the door and roughly opened it, not surprised to find a smirking Sasuke on the other side. The obsidian eyed boy appeared as though nothing were amiss. _Appeared, _being the key word. He stepped closer to Naruto, leaning forward, wanting to kiss him, but the blond turned his head away in defiance.

Sasuke frowned in displeasure as Naruto peeked at him from the corner of his eye, angry and hurt. "You didn't return my calls," he stated quietly.

The older teen raised in eyebrow teasingly. "You're upset. Why? Did you miss me that much?"

Naruto clicked his tongue in irritation. "Don't flatter yourself. I just figured that when your friend - _boyfriend_ - calls you..." his voice began to rise, he immediately lowered it when Lee made a shuffling noise with his blankets, "...you would have enough courtesy to call him back."

Sasuke stared at him with unreadable eyes before he said in a whisper. "You were worried about me."

Fury fueled in the depths of the blond's pupils, he clenched his hands that were on his side. "Of course I was worried. You could have at least contacted me to let me know if you were okay." Why was Sasuke acting like the idea hadn't even occurred to him?

Naruto didn't get the chance to fume at the mouth again; Sasuke swiftly grabbed onto his articles of clothing and held the younger boy against him. Naruto's cheeks reddened from the warmth that was emitting from the Uchiha's taller build.

Sasuke bowed his head, nuzzling his nose in the golden spikes affectionately. "I didn't mean to worry you. Just...a lot happened today."

The whiskered teen sighed; that was as much of an apology as he was going to get. "What _did_ happen?"

"Family issues," was the terse, cryptic reply.

Normally, Naruto would have left the discussion at that; he knew how aggravated Sasuke became when it involved his family. But the blond was still a bit mad with the other's nonchalant behavior. He wouldn't press the matter at the moment, but very soon the two of them were going to have a serious talk.

Sasuke, oblivious to the inner thoughts swirling in the blond's mind, reflexively strode forward, pushing the other boy into his dorm. Sasuke then lifted his head, centimeters from Naruto's face, and stuck out his tongue seductively, the tip of it swiping at the younger teen's bottom lip.

Naruto moaned as a pleasurable sensation shuddered down his spine and blood traveled straight to his penis. This must have prompted Sasuke because the next thing Naruto knew, a hand snaked under his shirt to tweak at both of his nipples individually. The Uzumaki arched his back at the feeling until his eyes widened in realization.

"Sa-Sasuke..." he whined, just now comprehending that the both of them were in the middle of the room, groping, "we can't...Lee's right there..." he said in way of explanation.

The Uchiha briefly glanced over at the sleeping other male before an arrogant smile overwhelmed his striking features. Naruto couldn't have readied himself any faster as Sasuke grasped his hand and practically dragged him away; he barely had time to even close the door to his dorm. The pair were seemingly racing across the campus, their hands jointly intertwined. When they got to the almost vacant student parking lot, their walking had slowed somewhat.

"We'll take my car," Sasuke uttered, releasing his boyfriend's hand and fishing into his pockets for his keys.

Sasuke's sleek black Viper was parked in a space at the end of the row, adjacent to the front of the steps to the school. He clicked the button from his key chain to unlock the vehicle's doors. The two of them climbed inside afterwards and fastened their seatbelt. Naruto had no clue where they were going nor did he think to ask. Sasuke seemed to have a lot on his mind.

The said teen switched on his car via the ignition beside the steering wheel and put the car into drive. He expertly drove onto the dark highway ahead, the only means of luminosity coming from the streetlamps every few miles on the sidewalk.

O-0-O-0-O

Madara Uchiha's three story architectural Villa wasn't as extravagant as the Uchiha Manor, but it was still beautifully crafted. The modern upper class country house was painted a cream-colored white encased with acres of grassland and a stretched coppled driveway. Naruto's own family had properties similar to the one the two teens were now entering; yet, when it came to Sasuke, somehow the comparison wasn't as great. _Good thing Madara's out of town on business, _the blond thought to himself, _that guy gives me the creeps!_

The foyer of the house was marbled with high ceilings and a crystallized light fixture hanging above. Naruto only marveled at its exquisiteness momentarily before he followed Sasuke to the staircase to the right. Naruto started to feel uneasy; why exactly had Sasuke brought him here if they could have just gone to the older boy's home? Was this some kind of booty call or something?

The extended halls were floored with red embroidery carpeting and as Sasuke opened the door to one of the bedrooms, the blue eyed blond made sure to not touch anything that looked too valuable by crossing his arms behind him. Naruto walked in the direction of the queen-sized bed that was against the wall and sat himself down. The black headed boy bolted the barrier shut and spun around to give the lighter haired teen a predatory gaze.

Naruto flinched in slight apprehensive for what was to come. Sure, a part of him was excited about the possibilities those tempting eyes were promising him. At the same time, he pondered over what could have taken place to have the older teen apparently ignore his phone calls. It looked like that talk could be happening sooner rather than later.

"Nervous?" Sasuke teased, advancing toward the other enticingly.

Naruto snapped upright, trying to feel angry but failing. "N-No!" _Great, now I'm stuttering!_

The Uchiha bent down near Naruto's lap and cupped his face. He gawked at the rebellious cobalt of his eyes before tilting his head upward to kiss those sweet lips. The blond let Sasuke overtake his mouth, his eyes gradually slipping shut to have his long eyelashes rest against his flushed cheeks. The two had been making out for so long that each were surprised when Sasuke found himself on top of Naruto after breaking their lip lock.

Sasuke decided that he actually liked their current position. He hauled his body up in order to ground his hips against the other boy's. Naruto mewled in appreciation, his writhing making Sasuke's pants tighten in stimulation as they rocked back and forth. If it felt this good just dry humping, Sasuke couldn't wait to be sheathed in that amazing heat once again. Plus, it would be a great distraction from his home life.

Feeling the soft plump of Naruto's lips on the corner of his mouth, Sasuke resumed their kissing and lowered his hand to unfasten the buttons on the other's jeans. Naruto whimpered in his mouth and brought his own hand to cover Sasuke's in a feeble attempt to cease his intent.

"Too fast?" Sasuke guessed in a huff, releasing Naruto's rose colored lips and removing his hand from the Uzumaki's zipper.

"Yeah..." Naruto breathed. "I want to know what's going on, Sasuke. What happened today?"

The dark haired boy exhaled heavily before moving off of Naruto and sitting up to stare ahead unseeingly. "It's about my brother," he started slowly, uncertainly, "he's...in trouble with my family. They disowned him."

Naruto's mouth hung open. "What the hell for? What did Itachi do that was so terribly wrong?" Naruto had always liked Sasuke's older brother ever since they were little. The man could be domineering at times, but he was still a good person. What the fuck brought this on?

Sasuke's next words froze every nerve in the confused blond's body. "He has a male lover."

Naruto could feel wetness wanting to burst from his tear ducts, but he persistently refused to let them fall. He would have scurried off the bed except Sasuke got a hold of him and leaned them both back into another lying position.

"Well, this has turned out to be a lovely evening," Naruto murmured in sarcasm. "No wonder you brought me to your uncle's house. You were afraid of the rest of your family finding out about us. This is just great. Just when I'm finally accepting this..." he couldn't even finish.

Sasuke set his face on the crook of his boyfriend's neck. "I refuse to let you go, Naruto."

"This is so unfair."

"Yes, it is."

"How are we going to make it?"

"...I'll figure something out."

An unsettling silence followed. One minute...two minutes...three minutes and then Sasuke was tugging at the waistband of Naruto's denims. The blond panicked for a second until Sasuke whispered relaxingly. "Don't worry. I just want us to get more comfortable."

Naruto rose his hips to allow Sasuke to remove his jeans from his tanned legs. The older teen did the same with his slacks before clutching the edge of the blanket and draping it over the both of them. Naruto instinctively came to lie on top of the Uchiha. Sasuke then gave him a lingering kiss on his forehead. The two boys bid each other goodnight, anticipating the restless sleep ahead of them.

* * *

**Yes, I did poke fun at the whole KakaIru/IruKaka relationship. 'Cause no matter how much we may love it, it's still a crack pairing! *Laughs, I have nothing better to do***


	6. 5: I'll Cherish You

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

**A/N: **I know some of you were confused about the flashback from the previous chapter. It will make a lot more sense once the story progresses further. I want to take the time to once again thank everyone who has read, story alerted, favorited (I know that's not a real word, but oh well) and/or reviewed my story.

* * *

Chapter 5: I'll Cherish You

O-0-O-0-O

Sasuke was the first to awaken from the rather dreamless sleep he had had to endure during the late hours of the previous night. It was still dim outside, the sun had yet to rise from beyond the distant mountains in the horizon. The bedroom nevertheless was being slightly illuminated by the expanding daylight that had poured in through the opened curtains of the window. The weight of Naruto's body on top of the dark haired teen's became increasingly uncomfortable; Sasuke shifted to the right of the bed so that only the other boy's head rested on his chest.

Sasuke caringly raked his fingers through the yellow tresses of Naruto's hair for awhile and admired his sweet face as the younger boy continued to doze. The Uchiha couldn't help but be in awe of his new found boyfriend's beauty. Everything, according to Sasuke, was perfection —from the rounded curve of his tanned countenance to the lean and toned outline of his body. And even though the whisker looking scars on Naruto's cheeks were one of the younger boy's main insecurities, the feral look to them undoubtedly enhanced his charm.

The Uchiha had to wonder sometimes whether Naruto was even conscious about how good-looking he actually was. He attracted females and males alike, even though he didn't realize he did. That was probably one of the reasons why Sasuke had felt no remorse when he had secretly threatened and scared away some of the girls that _had_ wanted to sleep with the oblivious Uzumaki in means of the ridiculous bet the two of them were still foolishly involved in.

Naruto had always had a magnetizing aura surrounding him that drew you in helplessly; the two boys' group of friends were proof of such. In fact, if it hadn't been for the golden headed teen, Sasuke was sure he wouldn't be associating with many of their so-called 'friends'. He had never done well with interacting with that many annoying personalities in one setting before anyway.

Thinking about the chaos that were his friends and acquaintances, Sasuke was caught off guard as he felt a stirring come from the other boy near the upper part of his body. The raven skewed his head at an angle to watch as silken lashes flickered upward to reveal alluring blue irises. Naruto had a sheen over his eyes and for a moment it seemed as though he were puzzled with why he was lying underneath a warm duvet next to another person, but when his eyes connected to Sasuke's, that same sheen disappeared and a beautiful smile replaced it.

"Hi there," the almost groggy voice greeted him shyly. Between the husky quality of Naruto's tone and his gorgeous smile, Sasuke wasn't sure if he would ever be able to breathe properly again.

Bending his head down to give the younger boy a quick peck on the lips, Sasuke replied softly. "Good morning."

"So...did you—uh—sleep well at all?"

"Not really."

"Me neither."

For some unknown reason, an awkward quietness overwhelmed the entire room. Sasuke looked into emotional cerulean orbs and a sudden unhappiness tugged at his heartstrings. His mind then led him back involuntarily to the day before, the day his family—his father—had found out about his brother's illicit affair with another man and had issued a 'family meeting'. It had been the first time he had ever seen his father stare at Itachi as though he were a plague against the very planet Earth. The fact that he was in the same predicament as his brother was nothing short of disheartening.

He figured Naruto had tried to reach him through his cellphone that day, but Sasuke had made sure he kept his device in his room during that time. He had wanted to shield Naruto from the wretchedness that was his family. He had been too afraid to talk to the other boy; he had thought that speaking to Naruto would break him down and push the younger male away from him. So when he was finally able to leave his large estate hours later, he had had an obsessive urge to go and see the other boy. Selfishly, he had brought Uzumaki to his uncle's place in hopes of sleeping with him to remove his budding grief and pain.

And now, as he gazed at Naruto, his rival, his friend, his lover, a growing guilt began to build up inside of him and fester.

"Sasuke, are you okay?"

Sasuke snapped out of his internal musings and gave the other boy a half smirk to alleviate the tension that had settled amongst them. "I'm fine. I was just thinking that since both of us are up, we should cook ourselves a helping breakfast."

Naruto sat up and glanced towards the window. "I can't remember the last time I woke up this early on a Saturday."

"Don't think about it too much—you might hurt yourself."

"Hey!"

A pillow was thrown at the smug looking Sasuke; but of course, he was able to dodge it by slanting his body to the side before sitting up himself. The couple lightly shoved the comforters off of their bodies and stood upward from the bed to remake it to what it had looked like when they had first entered the room. Sasuke then gently grabbed the blond's wrist before Naruto could walk away and stared at him wonderingly.

"Shower with me first?"

Naruto's eyes lowered to the ground, as though the floor held more interest than his dark haired boyfriend. Sasuke thought he might have been a bit too forward and was about to retract his words when Naruto rose those same eyes that held a great determination in them. With a sure nod, Naruto allowed the older boy to guide him to the master bathroom that was on the other side of the second bedroom in the hall.

Sasuke promised Naruto that he wouldn't touch him too inappropriately; but, boy, was that a difficult feat to accomplish! All that agile and soft sun-kissed skin exposed to him was extremely delightful, especially as the water from the nozzle cascaded down their soaked bodies and the suds from the soap Sasuke had lavished on Naruto dripped fluently in a descending motion passed his flat stomach.

After the boys had finished showering (which took longer than it should have because Naruto has insisted he help the other boy wash his ebony locks), Sasuke and Naruto sauntered to the guest room and rummaged through the drawers to find spare clothes for the both of them to wear. _This boy and his damn orange colored fetish, _the older male just had to roll his eyes as the other put on an orange T-shirt and viewed himself in the room's full length mirror with a huge grin.

Ten minutes afterward, the two boys waltzed right into the kitchen; Naruto decided to bring out a pan and skillet while Sasuke searched the pantry and cabinets for some much needed ingredients. A simple serving consisting of french toast, eggs, and bacon were what the teens selected as their beginning meal.

By now, the dimness from before had morphed into a brightening gleam of sunshine that enclosed the dimension of the kitchen. The stainless steel of the refrigerator and oven glistened from the morning's light. Naruto smiled as a sort of serene calm came over him; he then watched Sasuke cook from the stove skillfully for a few moments until he strolled from behind the granite island and joined Sasuke in his exertion.

Naruto swore loudly as some grease from the sizzling eggs on the skillet popped and landed on his face. Sasuke snorted in amusement and helped the other teen when Naruto started mixing the milk and cinnamon together in a bowl on the counter so that the toast would have its flavored seasoning.

It didn't take as long as they both thought it would to complete the food preparation. And as they plated their breakfast and headed to the elongated table in the dining room to eat, Sasuke inwardly considered that, despite all of his family drama, he couldn't remember the last time he had felt so happy.

The two boys then spent the better part of the morning lounging in the living room, watching television on the big screen, and kissing each other passionately on the couch. Sasuke had wanted to go further than just plain making out, but he didn't want to risk pushing his boyfriend too much. Although Naruto was accepting of their relationship, he was still skittish with the idea of how far they could take their intimacy.

Even so, Naruto and Sasuke had been enjoying each other's company. The both of them were experiencing a feeling of contentment which hadn't been felt for either one of them in such a long time. Sasuke was in fact looking forward to lazing around in the Villa with the blond haired teen for the remainder of the day. But by the time noon arrived, Sasuke was angered when he found the amount of missed calls he had on his cellphone and Naruto was fidgety and restless with the other's growing ire.

"Is your father the one who's been calling you?" Naruto asked anxiously, wiggling in his spot between Sasuke's legs as the two of them sat upright on the cushioned sofa.

The Uchiha fingered his cell with distaste. "Both my parents have called me." He then flung his mobile to the edge of the couch, irately.

"They're probably worried about you."

"As if they would be worried over their second-rate, backup son," Sasuke spat more to himself, momentarily unaware that his harsh tone had brought a hurt expression on the other teen's face. Realizing that he had spoken too callously, Sasuke gripped the back of Naruto's shirt before the boy decided he wanted to move.

In an act of contrition, Sasuke began kissing and nipping the tantalizing slender neck of the Uzumaki. A pleasing smirk then emerged from the older male as Naruto tipped his head back so that Sasuke would have more access with his wicked mouth. Sasuke was all too willing to appease his responsive boyfriend, particularly when he gave a rather prominent suck on the junction between the neck and shoulder and Naruto curved his back with purring moan.

The sounds Naruto were making aroused the dark haired teen immensely. Using his right hand, he touched the younger's boy left cheek and tilted his head to the side to capture Naruto's luscious lips with his own. Sasuke didn't waste any time as he gained entrance into the other's mouth and explored every crevice inside that wet passage with his thorough tongue. The taste and feel of Naruto's orifice as his appendage dipped deeper into it drove the black haired male wild with desire.

When Naruto began stroking his tongue back against the other boy's, Sasuke felt his constricted manhood throb to an almost unbearable height. He broke the kiss before the notion of ravishing the other boy could swarm strongly into his mind.

Eying the blond warmly, Sasuke said abruptly. "Let's get out of here."

"What? Why? I thought you wanted to stay."

"I did, but being inside this place is reminding me too much of my family right now. Let's just leave and go out to eat for lunch."

Naruto looked annoyed, but relented. "Okay, but you're treating me to ramen."

"Ramen freak," whispered Sasuke in half irritation and half affection.

"Always." Naruto responded with a cheeky grin.

O-0-O-0-O

Sasuke wanted to slap his own forehead and possibly the excitable blond's who happened to be standing right next to him.

The Uchiha had chosen the ever popular named Ichiraku's for the two of them to have their lunch. The said restaurant was a multiple dish establishment that was famous for its various soups and ramen. Sasuke had wanted to spoil his boyfriend (and also lessen some of the guilt he had), but he was starting to regret his decision. The place was packed with teenagers and young adults and the line he and Naruto were waiting in was way too long.

To top it all off, the eatery was built inside the local mall so the black haired teen had the misfortune of having to be surrounded by even more people than he would have liked. On the other hand, there was no other place he could have taken Naruto that would have served ramen within their city limits. Sasuke was not about to drive all around just to satisfy the younger teen's enormous appetite.

"Why are they taking so long?" Naruto whined childishly after several minutes of standing around.

"I don't know, Naruto. Stop complaining," Sasuke said with a scowl.

The Uzumaki narrowed his eyes and was about to retort until a familiar rowdy voice stopped him. "Hey, Naruto, Sasuke!"

The pair of friends spun around to the right of them to see Kiba, Shino, and Sai walking towards them amongst the crowd. The three other boys came to stand beside Sasuke and Naruto, blatantly ignoring the heated stares coming from the people that were behind them. Sasuke was becoming frustrated because of this; he didn't want to deal with any other person at the moment.

"Hey guys," Naruto greeted kindly, "what are you doing here?"

Kiba shrugged. "Me and Shino were just hanging out, you know; bought a few things." He lifted a plastic bag he had been carrying with him.

"...And Sai?" Naruto questioned, peering at the pale looking boy quizzically.

"We ran into the fucker earlier, and now he won't leave us alone."

"At least I don't smell like dog shit," Sai stated, a permanent fake smile plastered on his face.

"What was that, you psychotic weirdo?" Kiba growled.

Sasuke sighed in frustration, rubbing his temples with the tip of his fingers. While Kiba and Sai bickered back and forth, Naruto stared at the older male with a concerned look. The blond haired teen knew Sasuke had a lot of things happening in his life that made him more closed off than usual. Naruto wanted Sasuke to know that he would be there for him, no matter what. Discreetly, he grabbed Sasuke's hand that had fell to his side and squeezed it in reassurance. The dark haired teen gave the blond a grateful glance from the corner of his eye.

As he released the older teen's hand, the line starting moving forward. Kiba conveniently 'suggested' that the four of them (and Sai since he invited himself) should get a table together. Sasuke refused plenty of times, but Naruto figured that once Kiba made up his mind, there was no persuading him.

It took almost a half an hour for the teens to be seated and given menus for their orders from their appointed waiter. Kiba, Sai, and Shino sat across in their padded chairs from both Sasuke and Naruto. The resonance encircling the restaurant was mounting, but the setting itself was pleasant. The floor's layout was open with skylights above and the crown molding complimented the neutral colored wallpaper that covered ever square inch.

"So," Kiba started after the five of them had received their requested meals, "what have you two been up to?" He directed his question at Naruto and Sasuke.

"Nothing much," was the evasive answer from the blond.

"Still virgins, aren't ya?"

"Will you give it a rest already?" Naruto was so over this whole 'bet' fiasco. He was almost tempted to tell the other three the truth, but he knew that would have serious consequences for both him and Sasuke.

The brunette haired Inuzuka continued. "I'm just saying—time's a wastin'. You two only have until December to fulfill your manly duties."

"That's more than two months away, Kiba. They have plenty of time," Shino reasoned, speaking impassively. Kiba glared at the usually silent boy.

Sasuke soundlessly thanked Shino for defusing the conversation by nodding his head curtly. Like Shikamaru, Shino was able to use his intelligence and analyze certain situations carefully. The bug fanatic understood that some things were meant to be left alone or kept in secret. For Naruto and Sasuke, that meant solving their own set of problems. Shino in regards took a bite of the rice roll he had purchased for himself.

Sasuke was glad that the talking had ceased and began eating his cuisine dexterously. He thought the hush would resume this way, but the ever annoying Sai just had to ruin the teens' silence.

"Hey, Dickless," Naruto clenched his teeth at the insulting nickname Sai had given him, "how come you haven't asked she-man out lately?" Sai was referring to Sakura because of the girl's monstrous amount of strength.

"Stop with the name calling, you ass. And anyway," his eyes drifted swiftly to Sasuke before looking at the surface of the table, "I don't like Sakura _that _way anymore."

"That's 'cause she only has eyes for Uchiha. Am I right?" Kiba reflected with a chuckle.

Sai's phony smile broadened. "No wonder you haven't gotten laid yet."

Naruto leaned frontward for a confrontation, but Sasuke held him back by placing a hand on his chest. "Don't listen to that idiot, Naruto," the dark haired teen tried to calm the other down, "he's not even worth it."

"I beg to differ, Duck Butt," the disturbed Sai countered. Sasuke didn't even deem that worthy of a response.

Sasuke subtly moved his chair closer to his boyfriend's, noticing that the blue eyed teen was still pretty mad. The two boys' shoulders barely touched, yet the small movement was enough to ease Naruto from his anger. Neither Sasuke nor Naruto were aware of the pair of dark eyes hidden behind shaded glasses observing them with a lift of a single eyebrow.

Shino had to privately agree with himself that Naruto's and Sasuke's friendship with each other was gallingly perplexing. The two teens had some kind of a love-hate agreement that confused the hell out of everyone else that knew them. The bug lover speculated that there might even be more occurring with the duo than their regular camaraderie; if that was the case, he was going to make sure he wasn't one of the people who would be caught in the inevitable crossfire.

Shino took another bite of his rice roll at the thought.


	7. 6: Conversations with Women

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

Chapter 6: Conversations with Women

O-0-O-0-O

Naruto had wanted to stay and accompany his friends throughout the mall for the remainder of the afternoon; but when Sasuke received yet another seemingly urgent call from his father on his cellphone, the two grudgingly (or at least on Naruto's part) declined the offer proposed by Kiba. And so, with a friendly farewell from both Shino and Kiba and a last perverted comment from Sai, the five teens parted ways after finishing their lunches at the restaurant.

"I'm going to have to drop you off at your grandparents," Sasuke explained as they sauntered across the parking lot and headed for his vehicle, "my father _insists _that I come straight home."

After climbing into the car and buckling his seat belt, Naruto murmured with a pout. "Man, this sucks. I wanted to spend some more time with you."

"You're not getting soft on me now, are you?" Sasuke teased, pulling out of the parking space and putting his car into drive.

"Not a chance, dipshit."

The Uchiha smirked at his boyfriend's vulgar language. Surprisingly, it was one of the characteristics that Sasuke found rather interesting about the younger boy. The obscene words spoken just illustrated that the brass blond wasn't afraid to be who he was; that no matter how others would perceive him, he would always stay true to himself. An interesting quality, indeed. One for which the dark haired teen admired very much about the other.

Ignorant of Sasuke's affectionate musings toward him, Naruto absently slumped lower in the passenger seat. He then glanced out the window to watch as the multicolored scenery passed them by. Moments later, he leaned his head against the cool glass and moved his eyes from the dreary New England landscape to the yellow and white painted lines parallel to each other on the asphalt of the public road. The fast pace of the highway somehow got him thinking about all the hardships he and Sasuke were bound to face in the upcoming months. This thought alone left him feeling uneasy once again.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, unconsciously, a feeling of depression washing over him.

Without taking his eyes off the road, Sasuke intoned just as softly. "You don't need to feel sorry. It's not your fault."

_Who's the soft one now? _He wanted to taunt back, but taking a good look at the older teen's exasperated expression, he mentioned instead. "You still shouldn't have to put up with this—your family, I mean." Then, added as an afterthought. "Neither should Itachi."

Sasuke didn't say anything, but a small sad smile did happen to reach his lips. Using his left hand to control the steering wheel, the ebony haired teen used his right to squeeze Naruto's clad jean knee in way of showing his gratitude.

The ride to Naruto's grandparent's house only took about ten minutes since the mall was mere miles away from their neighborhood. The Namikaze's Victorian-era home was the second to last house on the left side in a rounded cul-de-sac. Sasuke maneuvered his vehicle to the slower lane in order to stop precisely in front of the walkway that led to the three-story residence. The older boy let the engine run as he looked over at the lighter headed male. Naruto stared right back, not willing to break the precious eye contact.

"I couldn't keep ignoring the phone calls," clarified Sasuke in means of an explanation.

"I...understand." And Naruto did, to an extent. It still didn't change the fact that his boyfriend had been fine with disregarding _his _calls the other day.

"I'll pick you up later."

"Okay."

Grabbing a hold of the underside of Naruto's jaw, Sasuke gently pulled that angelic face closer to his. Naruto was quicker though; he placed his lips chastely on the older boy's with a loud smack. The kiss ended as fast as it had started; and without another word, the blond unfastened himself from the seat and exited from the car. After Sasuke's vehicle disappeared from his line of sight, Naruto trekked in the direction of the house, his spare key already in his grasp.

Just when he was about to insert the key into the lock, the door opened to reveal a busty blonde haired older woman with honey colored eyes. Tsunade Namikaze was astonished to find her grandson that she had barely seen in the last two months all of a sudden standing outside of her front door.

"What are you doing here, brat?"

Naruto shrugged. "Sasuke dropped me off." He wasn't ready to give out any other information than that.

Stepping aside to let her grandson walk into the entrance hall before closing the door, Tsunade jeered with a sarcastic edge. "Sasuke? You mean that prissy Uchiha with a duck ass hair style?"

"Grandma, don't call him that!"

Tsunade gave a surprised face at his outburst. "It's true though, isn't it? Those Uchihas have always been a little unbalanced..."

"Grandma—"

"Especially Madara! Jeez! I mean, who the hell shit in his cereal?"

"Will you stop—"

"Always walking around with his head up his ass..."

"Just shut up, you old hag!"

A thunderous countenance emerged from the older female's face as she hollered. "Who're calling an 'old hag', you snot nose butt!"

"What's going on here?" A new voice piped in loudly to cease the rising voices. Tsunade and Naruto snapped their mouths closed and spun around to face an older man with spiky white hair and red lines running down his eyes. Jiraiya Namikaze stared on with confusion but a bit of amusement as well. Tsunade was blocking the younger blond from his sight, only when she moved away did the same astonishment overwhelm his face and a big grin appeared. "Hey now, I thought I recognized the other voice. You'll have to excuse me, kid, my hearing is not as great as it used to be."

"That's okay, gramps," Naruto said sincerely before he was engulfed in a bear hug provided by his grandfather.

Releasing the boy seconds later, Jiraiya eyed his grandson up and down. "Well, you look good. How's school?"

Naruto sheepishly began rubbing the back of his head, feeling as though he were being put on the spot. "It's okay, I guess. It gets kinda boring, though."

"Oh, I'm sure your wacky, underdeveloped brain has found ways for you to entertain yourself." Tsunade had the same sarcastic tone from before, but this time fondness had crept in her voice.

Naruto playfully stuck his nose in the air, outwardly disdained. "I'll have you know that I've been making good grades in all my classes."

"I'll bet," she stated good naturedly. The older blonde then gestured with her right arm for the teen to come closer. "C'mere." Naruto strolled over towards her and the two embraced one another. "It's actually good to see you."

After some more pleasantries, the three ambled into the kitchen, searching for something to drink for all of them. Even though he had been reluctant about of seeing his eccentric grandparents previously, the warmth that they always managed to smother him with erased any bad thoughts he had had before he came to the house. Naruto told them as much as the trio sat down at the kitchen table together as a family.

O-0-O-0-O

Naruto was in his grandparents' extra room an hour later, lying on a bed and staring upward at the ceiling while involuntarily scratching at his scalp. He could hear Jiraiya and Tsunade conversing on the other side of the wall and had to stifle a chuckle when his grandmother began fussing at the insufferable man. _Probably has something to do with his 'research'..._

Light trickles suddenly sounded from outside the bedroom window. The golden teen furrowed his eyebrows in bewilderment as the drips grew to a mild precipitation and the rain plunged downward moderately on the roof and exterior of the house. The pouring reverberation of the rain brought a sense of loneliness to the blue eyed blond and Naruto found himself missing his regal Uchiha. The said boy had texted him earlier saying that he wouldn't be able to pick him up the rest of the weekend, but that he definitely would on the morning before school started.

Thinking of Sasuke, Naruto began imagining the other's succulent creamy skin, his full pouty lips, his appealing body, and his smoldering onyx eyes. The picture in his mind was so arousing that the blond could feel his manhood hardening to awareness. He tried to eliminate the sinful descriptions from his mind, but his thoughts were lodged in stubbornly.

The erection he began to sport refused to dwindle, and the teen wasn't in the mood for a cold shower, so there was only one thing left to do. Slowly, ever so slowly, Naruto sloped his right hand down his torso until he reached his button and zipper on his jeans.

Once he was able to loosen his jeans, the teen slithered his pants down and lowered the top of his boxers slightly to reveal his pulsing shaft. Taking a firm grip of it, he started at the base of golden curls and moved his way up to the slippery head, repeating a stroking pace over and over again. Naruto hissed through his teeth as he experimentally touched the moist slit with his index finger. As the pleasure increased, he became more confident and pumped faster to bring himself to release. He moaned as his motions grew in their intensity. Naruto was so close, he could feel it, a drop of sweat from his temple traveled alongside his face to land on his upper shirt as he bucked. _I'm...I'm about to—_

"Yo, brat, your mother's on the phone!"

—_die of a sudden case of blue balls. _The sound of his grandmother's voice crashed his arousal, sending his penis to morbid flaccidity. The abrupt stop of his approaching climax actually made the lower part of his body hurt. Tucking his penis back inside his boxers and pulling up his pants, Naruto silently swore to himself that that would be the last time he ever jerked-off in his grandparents' home.

Removing himself from the bed, Naruto stalked out of the room and made his way to the hallway's nightstand where a corded phone was located. He wiped his hands on his jeans before picking up the receiver. "Hi, Mom," he acknowledged with a huff. He was trying to get his breathing back to normal.

"Hi, sweetheart," Kushina Uzumaki returned cheerfully, oblivious to the way her son had answered the phone. "It's good to hear from you. I didn't quite believe your grandmother when she called and said you were over there."

"Yeah, I kinda wanted to take a break away from school. How are you and Dad?"

"I'm fine. Your dad is fine. He's in a meeting right now though, and its lasting hours."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"One of the corporations he's trying to salvage won't agree to his negotiations. It's been like this for months, unfortunately. But enough worrying about us, I want to know how're doing. How's everything?"

"Everything's...good." Damn, he hated how he sounded so awkward! He only got to talk to his parents during certain birthdays, holidays, and intervals. Why couldn't he at least chat with some decent composure?

"Just good? Nothing exciting? How 'bout girlfriends? Do you have a girlfriend? I know the last time we talked you had said something about liking some Haruno girl—"

"I don't like her like that anymore, Mom. We're just friends," Naruto interrupted her, not wanting to go through that line of questioning.

"Oh, okay. So no girlfriends, I take it?"

Naruto used the bottom of his shirt to wring his unoccupied hand around, wondering if he should tell her the truth. _Ah, the hell with it. _"No, no girlfriends, but I _am_ in a relationship." He hoped his mother would get the hint so that he wouldn't have to explain further.

"I'm not sure I understand you." Apparently, luck wasn't on his side.

"I'm...with the same sex."

His mother was silent for awhile. Then, a quiet. "...I see."

"Are you upset?"

Kushina spoke with a tinge of puzzlement. "Why would I be upset?"

"'Cause I also like guys." _Or at least _one _guy._

"Sweetie, your father and I love you no matter what. Neither one of us would care whether you had a girlfriend or a _boy_friend, okay?"

Naruto blew a sigh of relief. He should have known that his mother would be okay with him dating another boy. His folks _were_ pretty open-minded, after all. "Thanks, Mom. I love you guys too."

"So...you're in a relationship," the Uzumaki woman reiterated, confirming more to herself, "how long have you been together then? Do I know this person...uh, boy? C'mon, honey, give me the details." By the end of her inquiring, Kushina was practically squealing in his ear. Naruto groaned inwardly; seriously, his mother could be such a _girl _sometimes! And of course she had to ask the questions that he really didn't want to answer.

"Our relationship is...complicated at the moment. That's all I'm willing to tell you right now."

"At least tell me that he's treating you well."

"Actually...yeah, he is. He's rather caring despite everything."

"Good. I'm glad," Kushina said genuinely. After a long pause, that unexpectedly wasn't uncomfortable, she asked. "Now, are you and your boyfriend sexually active?"

"Mom!" Naruto whined, embarrassed. The color red had taken over his face.

"I just want to make sure my baby is being safe and protected."

Sitting down on the carpeted floor because his legs had grown tired, Naruto mumbled. "Mom, that's not cool. You don't ask stuff like that." Kushina's only response was to giggle.

O-0-O-0-O

"Hey, Karin, I gotta ask you something that's been bugging me since the last time we spoke—how come you're not Sasuke's fangirl anymore?" Naruto asked a certain bespectacled girl that just happened to be sitting down next to him again on the football ground's bleachers.

It had been four days since the blond had stayed with his grandparents. True to his word, Sasuke had picked him up on Monday morning and drove him back to the academy, the cold weather from their outer surroundings making the both of them understandably docile. The rainfall from Saturday had eased some, but wispy drizzle appeared on and off all through the beginning of the week. For a second time, Naruto was in the arena, supporting his covert black haired boyfriend as he and his team went about their offensive drills.

He and Karin had been talking for a couple of hours as the evening came, and it baffled Naruto how at ease the both of them were with each other. The whiskered teen could even go as far as calling her a new friend. She wasn't at all like Ino and Sakura whom although great friends could be overbearing at times. Karin seemed to have a sharp air about her; it was like she was able to read other people just by looking at them.

Naruto waited for Karin to answer him, and didn't have to wait long as she said quite plainly, "I told you before, he's a lost clause."

"Yeah, but I want to know why. What changed your mind?"

Supposedly contemplating the question as a frown touched her mouth, Karin started carefully. "I guess it was the first time I noticed 'that' look in his eyes."

Naruto rose a golden eyebrow. "And what look would that be?"

"Y'know, that sparkle you get in your eye when you have finally found someone special?"

"No, I don't know."

The redheaded teen rolled her eyes and continued. "Yes, you do. When people first fall in love, they start acting all weird and annoying. People can see that. And it's not just with the eyes either, it's their whole being. Once I stopped being selfish and saw that look, I knew it would never work out romantically between us."

Naruto wasn't sure whether he should choke on his own spit or lean closer to the girl and ask more questions. The things she were saying sounded intriguing, but the concept of Sasuke being in love, with _him _no less, was unbelievable. They were currently boyfriends and before that they had been best friends. In that sense, Naruto knew that he _liked _the dark haired boy and vice versa, but love? The emotion was a foreign preception. Not to say that they couldn't grow to love each other, but the two had a long way to go before they reached that point.

Watching as the coach signaled the players to finish up their practice, Naruto said accordingly. "Well, for what it's worth, I'm actually glad you're not a fangirl anymore. No offense, but fangirls are crazy."

Karin began laughing, but halted abruptly and clutched at her chest, cringing. Naruto gaped over at her, bewildered. "You okay?"

"I think so. Just some shooting pain, is all."

The blue eyed blond nodded his head, feeling worried, but deciding to let it go for now. At the end of practice, Sasuke, walking amongst his team, had twisted his body around to give Naruto a profound stare before heading right to the locker rooms. Naruto had to wonder as he left the grounds if that was what Karin had been referring to when she mentioned 'that' look to him.

* * *

**Oh, boy. Naruto's still in denial. Heh.**


	8. 7: To Even the Odds

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

Chapter 7: To Even the Odds

O-0-O-0-O

"Edgar Allan Poe was the author of the poem_ A Dream within a Dream_, right?" Naruto peered over at his boyfriend questioningly, weaving his body on his disorganized bed into a more comfortable position on his stomach as he speedily wrote in his school's notebook.

Sasuke was sitting upward to the side of him, his right hand occupied with an opened book while his left hand inattentively stroked the younger teen's clothed back in a graceful sweeping-like motion.

It was a typical Friday evening, and most of the students had already left the campus to return to their lavish homes. Sasuke and Naruto had no such desires; and because Sasuke had a game the next day, he and the other were content with just spending their time alone together in Naruto's dorm room.

Without removing his eyes from the novel's words, the dark haired teen said in response, "You've asked me this before, and the answer's still the same: yes, you moron."

"You don't have to be an ass about it," Naruto grumbled, cursing the other a few times before writing something down. Sasuke smirked to himself in triumph.

Neither boy uttered a word for the next forty-five minutes that followed. Except for the occasional humming from Naruto, the room was encased in companionable quiet. Sasuke savored the peaceful setting, knowing that his blond rarely indulged in such an act of tranquility. The ray of sunlight peeping from the window had a reddish tint to it and the color enveloping throughout the area was quite stunning. The glimmer of the crimson light added to the calm mood.

"Done!" Naruto suddenly declared in victory, breaking the valued silence and throwing his pencil to the floor with a huge grin on his face. "So, bastard, do I get a reward?"

The Uchiha kept his eyes trained on the book. "What for?" He asked, seemingly bored. "As a student, you're _supposed _to do your work."

"Just shut up and kiss me."

Closing his book with a quick 'snap' and eying Naruto slyly, Sasuke pushed the novel aside and lowered himself to capture the other boy's lips with his own. The slow kiss morphed into a twist of heated tongues and swapped saliva. The golden teen moaned a heartbeat later as Sasuke flipped him over and placed his legs on both sides of Naruto's hips to straddle him. The two remained with their mouths connected, noisily smacking their lips against each other as they explored the internal wetness.

Severing the kiss but keeping his lips close to the other's, Sasuke whispered with a gasp, "Can I...may I touch you?"

Naruto bit down on his bottom lip, wriggling to the side in all his discomfiture. Sasuke could see that the other teen was contemplating his query. _Please, say you agree, _the black headed male silently pleaded in his mind. The blond briefly closed his eyes before gazing back up with resolve, saying the one decree that had Sasuke shivering in anticipation.

"Okay."

That was all the permission Sasuke needed. With delicate fingers, the older boy capably undid the white buttoned shirt Naruto was wearing and slid the article of clothing off of his torso to run his hands all over the expanse of copper abs. Sasuke touched, caressed, and tickled every available inch of skin to his satisfaction. Naruto's pleased sounds were a big turn on for him; the blue eyed boy was like a feline purring in approval.

Sasuke was so enraptured with the younger male's mumbles that he almost didn't feel and notice Naruto cupping his clad erection. He gave a startled groan at the sensation, using one of his own hands to cover Naruto's and help him with his curious fondling.

To reciprocate these intense feelings, Sasuke bent his head down and engulfed one of Naruto's raised nipples into his mouth, periodically sucking and biting the nub. Naruto fluttered his eyes and hissed through his clenched teeth from the dark haired teen's ministrations.

After giving the other nipple the same treatment, Sasuke brought his head back to Naruto's face and kissed him fervently once again. The authority of Sasuke's wet muscle probing into his mouth brought an electrifying buzz to the blue eyed boy's whole being. Naruto had continued his jerking action with Sasuke's penis through his blocked attire. The older teen knew he was bound to release soon, but he wanted to come simultaneously with his blond haired boyfriend.

Halting Naruto's moving hand from his groin, Sasuke guided the tanned appendage to the waistband of his slacks. Naruto released his lips and appeared confused for only a moment before understanding the other's request and unzipped his pants. Sasuke did the same with Naruto's uniformed slacks and together they took out their throbbing cocks from beneath their boxers.

Aligning his body on top of the other boy's, Sasuke slowly began rocking their clasped arousals back and forth, causing the couple to moan in unison. Naruto slipped his arms to circle the pale neck of the Uchiha and wrapped his long legs around the older male's waist as the two resumed. The friction of the rising sweat, slicked skin brought a weak cry from the whiskered teen's mouth. Sasuke growled at the sound and sped up his thrusts. Naruto whimpered and shut his eyes as Sasuke led them both toward the haven of pure ecstasy.

With a few more quickened movements, the pair of lovers were shoved over the edge into oblivion. Sasuke, with his eyes shut, threw his head back and opened his mouth in a silent scream while Naruto's eyes widened and he tightened his hold on the dark haired teen with a grunt. Exhausted, spent, the boys panted into each other's collarbone, dreamily coming down from their pleasured highs. The two afterwards embraced one another, Naruto gradually loosening his legs from Sasuke's waist.

Uzumaki could feel his satiation increasing to form a certain tiredness. He was just about to roll over and fall asleep when he felt a playful swat to his behind. The blond yelped in surprise and glared heatedly at the arrogant Sasuke.

"We need to clean ourselves up," Sasuke explained with an amused leer.

Naruto glanced downward at his exposed stomach and blushed cutely at the Uchiha's implications. The two then lifted themselves from the bed, clothes in disarray, and headed in the direction of the bathroom. As Naruto flipped the switch for the light to turn on, Sasuke stood near the doorframe watching his long time friend in appreciation. Naruto was in the middle of stripping his garments but stopped when he found the other teen observing him.

"What? What is it? Why are you staring at me like that?" The younger boy tilted his head, reminiscent to a curious puppy.

"I was just thinking how lucky I am," was Sasuke's sincere admittance.

Naruto was positive that his face resembled a red hot air balloon. How could this bastard – this wonderfully talented, handsome bastard – have such an icy frontage one minute and then say the most heartwarming, honest things the next? Was Sasuke trying to show his more sentimental side or was it all a fluke?

"Stop saying such things to me, it's embarrassing!"

Sasuke looked as though his interest was piqued. "Embarrassing, you say?"

"Yeah, it's like you're trying to rile me up on purpose."

The obsidian eyed male was absolutely wicked as he said, "Maybe I am."

Naruto sputtered indignantly, realizing belatedly that the black haired teen was predatorily sauntering his way. Sasuke came to stand right in front of him, fixedly gawking into his swirling sapphire irises. The situation and profound gape directed at him made Naruto feel even more mortified. The silence was nearly crippling.

At last, Sasuke inquired. "Shall we?" The Uchiha motioned his head to the shower cubicle. Naruto felt helpless as he nodded in agreement.

O-0-O-0-O

The subsequent afternoon was filled with laughter, chatter, and gossip as swarms of people crammed inside Seasonal Leaf's playing grounds for the first game of the season. Naruto had come across a bench near the back of the arena, wanting to be as far away from the fanatic fans (and fangirls) as possible. He was a little saddened when he couldn't find Karin in his sights, but his gloom subsided once his clique of friends approached him.

Sakura, Ino, and Hinata were the first ones to reach him; the girls had been giggling and whispering amongst themselves as they loomed closer. Naruto mentally shook his head at their unexplainable folly. He didn't even _want _to know what the three had been previously conversing about. The blond discerned that whatever it was would cause a bruise to form in his brain.

"Nice of you to join me," Naruto greeted them jokingly with a smile.

Ino was initially planning on speaking until Sakura shouted over her in aggravation, "We would have gotten here sooner, but _somebody _decided they wanted to take their precious time applying their makeup!" The emerald eyed female pointedly glared at the similarly annoyed Ino.

"I wasn't about to leave the house looking like a freaking ghost, forehead!" Yamanaka disputed as they all took a seat. "Unlike you, I take pride in my appearance."

"I know you didn't say what I think you just said, bimbo!"

"And it begins." Naruto pronounced with a sigh, expertly blocking out their usual squabbling. Those two fought even more than he and Sasuke did, and that was saying something considering the males argued with one another often. Hinata had remained meek during the fiery exchange, nervously wringing her fingers together as she sent Naruto a warm smile back.

The rest of his posse arrived in groups of two or more and the rest of the attendees – Neji, Shino, Sai, Tenten, Kiba, Choji, and Lee – selected a seat that was near or next to a certain other person. The only individual missing from their circle was the ever unimpressed Shikamaru. Naruto reasoned that the lethargic teen was probably loafing around his own home while purposely avoiding the upcoming football tournament.

As the overhead lights diffused to illuminate the growing dusk above, Naruto languidly started examining different masses of people inquisitively. He wasn't surprised to see that none of Sasuke's family members had shown up to the event. The more fortunate students conversely either had their parents, guardians, or friends sitting with them. The irony of such support was so comforting to him that he at first was unaware that he had caught the eye of the one man that made his skin crawl.

Headmaster Danzo was on the other side of the bleachers, yet his hawk-looking eyes were still able to locate Naruto throughout the throng of bodies. The menacing older male was now staring intently at the blond teen, and Naruto knew for a fact that the man would have confronted him if it weren't for the many people that would have barred witness to their altercation.

Uzumaki quickly felt his earlier enthusiasm dissipate.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was beyond excited. Of course he would never confess such a thing out loud to anyone. There had always been an exhilarated rush as he thought about dominating and winning all his games. He was overly confident in his skills and recognized that he was one of the best players in the county. And with that, he was going to prove his ability to everyone here tonight. It was an added bonus that his boyfriend would be present to share in his success.

The Uchiha and his team assertively strode forward from inside the lockers in regards to the announcer's introduction, their uniforms proudly contributing to their greatness. The crowds cheered with a loud reverberate as the admired teens entered the field. The squeals and shouts energized each and every player.

On the other part of the field stood their opponents with their infamous coach in tow. The other team's earth yellow and maroon colored uniforms were not only dowdy, but they pointed to the one group of competitors that brought a scowl to Sasuke's face – their rivals in both academics and sports, Desert Heat Preparatory.

Seasonal Leaf and Desert Heat had been clashing schools for the last four decades. Both institutes were top notch and it was said that the upper class would saw an arm off just to have their children attend either one. Currently, Desert Heat was ahead of them by a couple of points according to the standardized test roster for the district. This revelation bothered Sasuke naturally and he was determined to even the odds with his teams' feat.

The separate teams huddled together minutes later as both coaches blew on their whistles and the players were handed down tactics. The Uchiha was a little irked when the announcer broadcasted through the microphone that the oppositional lineup wouldn't be kicking off in the beginning, determined by the traditional coin toss. That wasn't fair by any means. It was their turf, so why was the other team allowed to have the ball foremost?

_It doesn't really matter, _he finally decided after going back in forth in his head irresolutely, _once we kick off, I'll tackle them down and then _we_ will have the ball as our own._

Yes, Sasuke was definitely going to prove himself to all of those watching.

The placekicker on Sasuke's team, a boy named Suigetsu Hozuki, walked over to the 40-yard line where the ball was situated with a cocky smirk on his face. Taking a few steps back, he then ran forward and kicked the ball upward toward the receiving team. One of the bulky members on the opposing team caught the ball; nevertheless, he didn't get a chance to make it too far before three of his challengers, directed by Sasuke, tackled him down.

"Sasuke is an animal," an eager Tenten commented thoughtfully from the stands, her usual tomboy essence making itself known. Naruto was mentally inclined to agree.

The women in particular were screaming and hollering in adoration as Sasuke righted himself from atop his opponent and then ambled back to his team for another play.

With all twenty-two players on the sports grassland a little while after, the teams were down and set. Sasuke snapped the ball on the ground accordingly, and it was passed from the quarterback to one of the receivers who sprinted onward in an effort to obtain a touchdown. He gained four yards before he was brought down ruthlessly by a number '13' on the opposite team.

Sasuke narrowed his orbs critically at this specific person, taking an inward note to keep an eye on the unidentified player. The angle in which '13' was wearing his helmet obscured his countenance so Sasuke wasn't able to clearly see him; either way, the ebony haired teen would be damned to let anyone try to steal the glory from him and his teammates.

Eleven minutes into the second quarter, the score was 12-14 with Desert Heat's team ahead of them by two. The other school's coach was callous with his plays, and he drilled his team to oblige with the same fierceness. Sasuke and his mates were frustrated with this account. They had been doing so well during the first quarter and now it seemed as though their accustomed control was out of their hands. Sasuke knew that part of their misgivings had to do with that insufferable number thirteen. The said teen was powerful in his attacks and sprints; he was even on par with the Uchiha's own talent.

"We're going to have to slow down their teams' wide receiver," Seasonal Leaf's fullback, Zabuza Momochi, proclaimed solidly as they huddled. "He's the one weakening our defense."

"Agreed," consented one of the linemen.

"I'll handle him." Sasuke voiced. He'd been wanting to payback that irritating '13' anyway.

Once all the guys settled on a line of attack, they dispersed from their cluster with a "Ready? Break!" before heading back to the field. Sasuke made sure he had the number thirteen in his peripheral vision. _You're not getting away this time, _he promised the mysterious player internally.

O-0-O-0-O

Naruto watched Sasuke with sympathetic eyes as the mentioned Uchiha roughly removed his helmet and shoulder pads even before he fully staggered back into the locker rooms. The usually composed dark headed teen was furious. During the last thirty seconds of the previous quarter, he had tried to subdue the number thirteen with a quick tackle. The other team had had the ball knowingly, and Sasuke had been determined to cease the other's advantage.

Whether it had been intentional or not, Sasuke had become too engrossed in his run and had created a penalty when he had grabbed onto the number thirteen's jersey and yanked him to the ground. The referee had thrown a yellow colored flag as a result and Sasuke had received a proper scolding from his coach based on his rash behavior.

It was presently half time; the crowds were making their way towards either the food court or the exit. Naruto and his friends had stayed planted in their seats, lingering tolerantly so that the majority of the onlookers could leave. Making sure that a certain man wasn't around, the blond hastily began searching with his eyes for his headmaster that he had temporarily forgotten about when he had been focusing on Sasuke's fault.

He blew out a sigh of relief as soon as he saw that Danzo wasn't around. Hinata, who had been sitting beside him, gave the golden boy a perceptive look as an uncontrollable blush overwhelmed her pallid cheeks.

"N-Naruto," she began unsteadily. "Are you al-alright? You seem...fidgety."

Surprised by her question but wanting to reassure the girl, Uzumaki plastered on a faux smile and responded, "Sure, I'm fine."

Kiba, unconcerned with the two's conversation, wrapped his arms around both Naruto and Hinata from behind, his patent wolfish grin emerging. "What a game so far, eh? Who knew Sasuke could be such a poor sport?"

Sakura glared at the dog-boy from the other side of Naruto. "Shut it, Kiba! Sasuke was just having an off day, that's all." Ino made a noncommittal noise in consent from the back of her throat.

"Whatever you say," Kiba spoke unbelievingly, lifting one of his hands to his mouth to stifle his chuckle.

"Can we leave now and get something to eat?" Naruto asked in order to change the subject, unconsciously glowering at his wild headed brunette friend. "I'm starving."

Everyone verbally agreed with the blond's suggestion, each one of them removing themselves from their seat in slight bewilderment.

Twelve minutes after the intermission had started and with most of the audience coming back into the stands, Sasuke and his team once again exited from the locker rooms to take their rightful place back on the sports field. And even with Seasonal Leaf's players still being behind in their plays, the teen males still held themselves high in a confident stride.

Within moments, both teams were situated fittingly via the announcer's instructions and waited for the special team on the opponents' side to kick the ball. As soon as the placekicker's foot connected to the sphere shaped object, the spectators viewed the soaring football with bated breath. It looked as though the other team was going to make a field goal, but when the ball harmlessly fell short, the game revived.

At one point in the game, a player from the Uchiha's lineup became injured after he fumbled the ball and was then tackled down near the sidelines. The aforesaid player was replaced with a huge orange haired guard by the name of Juugo. The reserved youth wordlessly sauntered onto the playing grounds and took his position next to Sasuke's center.

The opposite team later had the ball in their grasp; their quarterback dashed forward like a cheetah on the hunt. Sasuke was ready to remedy that fact as he and several others took out their rival's formation and wrestled the QB to the grassy plains before he could achieve five yards. The audience roared in shouts at the strategic display.

Two minutes before the game was to come to an end, Sasuke and the others were grouped together for their last scheme. The score had been balanced from 12-14 to 18-20 after both teams had achieved a reasonable touchdown pass. The dark haired teen knew that their only chance was to complete another touchdown. No one tried to deny that the task would be difficult.

"I'll pass the ball onto Sora and he'll throw it to the receiver," the Uchiha assured dedicatedly. His teammates were so inspired by his poise and declaration that nobody attempted to oppose him.

"Is everyone in agreement?" The coach asked, eying his team expectantly. All the teens nodded their head. "Okay then, flea flicker to Sora on go. Give 'em hell, boys!"

Heading back to the field, all players resumed their positions as they bent their bodies and readied themselves for the final outcome. Sasuke was given the ball and passed it on center before handing the sphere underneath to the now acknowledged quarterback Sora; the black headed QB strived to fling the ball toward the end zone, but the other team anticipated their plan and '13' nearly tackled the teen.

With a swift twist, Sora avoided the collision with his challenger and trekked hurriedly a little further before throwing the ball to a lone receiver. The defensive tackle on the reversed team tried to manhandle him from the side, but all was in vain as the said receiver scored a winning touchdown, the concluding score being 24-20. The crowd went positively wild, and Sasuke and his team jumped on one another in victory.

Naruto, Sakura, and Ino in all their contagious thrill screamed and held onto each other to hop up and down. Following suit, Neji and Sai smirked to themselves, Tenten, Lee, and Kiba whooped loudly, Choji and Hinata smiled, and Shino gave a single applaud.

Sasuke was too far away to visibly see his boyfriend through all the chaos, nonetheless he pictured the blue eyed blond grinning at him lopsidedly. And Naruto certainly was; he was so very proud of the older teen. _Maybe I'll even congratulate him by going a bit further in our intimacy. _The thought was appealing and it brought a flush to Naruto's cheeks.

Unthinkingly trying to evade any curious glances to his face, Naruto found his eyes traveling to the other team below. His irises somehow landed on number thirteen's dirtied back. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked on angrily at the anonymous person that could've ruined everything. The blond's eyes blinked in astonishment however when the nameless boy removed his helmet and twirled around. A mass of shockingly red hair was exposed and perspiring pale skin glinted against the falling lights.

Releasing his bemused friends from his embrace, Naruto ran through the aisles and rushed downward in the direction of the field. Reaching the railing that separated the bleachers from the flat surface, the tanned teen leaned over the metal and yelled out to the one person he hadn't seen since his early childhood.

"Gaara!"

* * *

**For the record, I know very little about football. I'm sure there were a lot of technical flaws, but for imagination's sake, can you please just ignore them and enjoy? Thanks in advance!**


	9. 8: Old Friends, New Enemies, Part I

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

Chapter 8: Old Friends, New Enemies, Part I

O-0-O-0-O

The heat cascading down from the incandescent lights of the football field made an already irritable Gaara Sabaku even more upset as the unwanted warmth struck the back of his uniform and he roughly removed his helmet from his head. The ruthless wide receiver of Desert Heat Preparatory had been silently fuming ever since the opposite teams' receiver had scored the winning touchdown. This, Gaara just couldn't quite understand; he and his teammates had been doing so well during the first two quarters of the game. What had suddenly gone wrong for them?

The redheaded teen was abruptly pulled from his internal ponderings as he heard his name being called in the direction of the stands. Turning around to face whom had called out to him while some of his teammates did the same, Gaara raised a nonexistent eyebrow as an unidentified blond boy leaned over the railing near the bleachers and waved his arms at him. Feeling the same bout of annoyance from before doubling, Gaara took wary steps toward the apparent stranger and waited for the other to say something else.

The blond gave a sheepish smile when he noticed the paler teen's blank face. In a haste to explain himself, he rushed, "Uh, hi. I don't know if you remember me, seeing as though it's been several years, but we used to be really good friends. You see, my name's Naruto—"

"...Uzumaki," Gaara finished for him in slight surprise, having finally recognized the other teen when he took a closer look at those unmistakable cerulean orbs and the whisker looking marks on each of the cheeks. "Yes, I remember you."

Naruto grinned wide in response. "Hey, long time, no see. How've you been? How are Temari and Kankuro?"

"I'm doing well, as are my siblings," Gaara answered, shocking his comrades as he unconsciously tugged at his lips. "I believe Temari is here now, to support me of course."

"Ah, sweet," uttered Naruto blithely, searching back and forth with his head for the other boy's older sister. "It'd be nice to see her again. Does she still wear those pigtails?"

Gaara confirmed the question with a single nod of his head, and then asked a query of his own. "Is your family decent?"

"Yeah, my parents are doing okay. They've been in Ireland for the past six months, buying and selling out various companies and other stuff like that. I can't wait until December, though; they should be coming back to the States to visit me by then. I just hope that they bring me back something good..." As Naruto continued to ramble on while Gaara listened to him tolerantly, many pairs of eyes watched the two boys together curiously, in particular a group of certain teenagers in the upper channels of the quasi-stadium.

Naruto's friends gazed upon the unmatched duo in hushed astonishment. It was one thing for the boisterous blond to start a conversation with someone he barely even knew, it was another when that said someone happened to be a callous player from a rival school. All ten of the mentioned high school pupils couldn't help but have the same thought pertaining to Naruto: _what in the hell is up with this boy?_

"Shouldn't we go over there and get him?" Kiba questioned after a long pause, staring back at the remaining nine teens in uncertainty.

"Nah," spoke Ino, fascinated with the turn of events. "I think he'll be okay. Let's just watch him for awhile and see what happens."

O-0-O-0-O

Sasuke had returned to the locker rooms unhurriedly, figuring he would catch up with his boyfriend once the uproar of celebration had settled down. He showered and dressed himself promptly, not wanting to take too much time in the stalls. Twenty minutes later, he reemerged from the lockers and headed in the direction of the double door exit. He was a little bewildered to discover that Naruto wasn't outside waiting for him like he had assumed he would have been.

Ignoring the congratulatory praises he received from some of his peers as he walked, the dark haired teen fished inside his pockets and brought out his cell phone in hand. He deftly used his fingers to send a quick text message to his golden headed lover, asking briskly where the younger was located on campus. Sasuke steadily began to grow in impatience when no answering text met his unread messages. With a determined swiftness, the Uchiha decided to hunt for the idiotic teen all around the school and then give him a good talking to once he was able to find him.

Sasuke explored all the places he could think of, even going as far as checking both the library and cafeteria. By now, the crowds had lessened and the school wasn't as filled with non students as it had been before. Ambling through a cement path near a grassy meadow, Sasuke raised his hand to his forehead briefly to shield his face as he entered a more lustrous part of an outer building. The obsidian eyed boy almost snarled in frustration when there was still no sign of his boyfriend.

With only one more destination in mind, Sasuke spun on his heel and stalked toward the front of the school. He bit back a groan as he came across Sakura; the pink haired girl had been standing near the gate that led out to the darkened asphalt. She didn't notice his presence at first, but when she did, a pretty smile blossomed onto her face.

"Oh, Sasuke!" She exclaimed happily, as he approached. "You were absolutely incredible tonight, the way you handled yourself on the football field was nothing short of—"

"Have you seen Naruto?" Sasuke interrupted brusquely, not wanting to hear any more of the girl's gushing compliments.

Sakura appeared confused for a moment before realization lighted her features. "Oh, Naruto? Yeah, he's in the parking lot, talking to some redheaded guy from Desert Heat. I had told Ino that we should have stayed with him before, but no, she had to be miss know-it-all and..."

Sasuke had stopped listening after the words 'Desert Heat' and was already making his way to the mentioned parking lot, involuntarily grinding his teeth together in anger. Sakura watched him go with a dejected expression, wishing with all her heart that she could somehow be able to break through his tough exterior.

Sasuke, in all his heated alacrity, made it to the parking lot sooner than one would expect. There were various vehicles lined across opened spaces; people were moving about, most of them entering inside their cars to drive toward the highway. Tuning out the noise surrounding him, the Uchiha finally found his blond amongst the throng. Naruto was carelessly leaning against a black BMW Z4, chatting away while he absently tossed a helmet in the air. Standing right next to him was the aforesaid redheaded boy and an unknown older blonde girl.

"...I would've never pegged you as the sports playing type, Gaara," Naruto's voice suddenly surfaced as Sasuke strolled nearer. "When we were little, you acted as though activity like that was totally beneath you."

"Let's just say my priorities changed over the years," the redhead responded almost in monotone, shrugging nonchalantly.

Naruto was about to speak some more on the subject until Sasuke came into his sights. Smiling in glee, the blue eyed blond stepped away from the vehicle and said loudly, "Oi, Sasuke, there you are! I was wondering where you've been. Dude, you were great out there! I can't believe—"

"You've been wondering where _I've _been?" The Uchiha repeated in disbelief, skillfully disregarding the fact that he cut off yet another person. "I'll tell you where I've been – looking all over the place for you. I even texted you. Is this your way of getting back at me for not answering your calls last week?"

Naruto looked puzzled with the older's tone. "What? No, of course not. I must have set my phone on silent and forgot to change it back. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to have you looking all over for me. I just thought—"

"That's the thing, you don't think. You always act first without any regards for anyone else."

"First of all, stop interrupting me. Second of all, Sasuke man, what the fuck? This was supposed to be a good night, and you're already ruining it!"

"I haven't ruined anything," the black headed teen denied, narrowing his eyes at the number '13' helmet Naruto still had in his grasp. "What I don't understand is why you are willingly hanging around with these Desert Heat losers."

Gaara's own eyes narrowed while the girl lashed out furiously, "Hey, screw you pal! Who do you think you are, walking over here actin' all high and mighty?"

"Yeah, Sasuke, what's gotten into you?" Naruto asked, appearing both upset and annoyed.

Discounting his boyfriend's question, Sasuke stared straight into the eyes of the redhead, a cruel smirk forming on his lips as he said, "I think I'm the guy on the team that just won over your pathetic one. Don't think I don't recognize you, Sabaku. You and your family have always had an act of corrupting anything and everything they touch."

Both Gaara and the girl Sasuke assumed was the other's sister took a threatening step forward, ready for a fight. With a hasty 'excuse us' from Naruto, the blue eyed teen threw the helmet back to Gaara and snatched the Uchiha by the elbow, leading him away. The two didn't stop their quickened walking until they were safely tucked behind a building where there were less people in the vicinity.

Letting go of the older boy's appendage, Naruto glared at the dark haired teen in incredulity. "What the hell was that all about? Do you know you almost got your ass kicked?"

Sasuke crossed his arms with a snort. "Like those two could do anything to me. Plus, if anything, I should be the one asking 'what the hell?' Why were you with them in the first place?"

"I don't know, maybe it's because they're my friends," Naruto drawled sarcastically, "and I was catching up with them since I haven't seen them in years."

"You were hanging out with our rivals, idiot."

"So what? It's not as though they're our rivals in real life."

"Speak for yourself," whispered Sasuke, hoping that the blond hadn't heard him.

"It doesn't matter, anyway," Uzumaki continued quietly. "I'm still going to hang out with them. I would have thought you'd tag along with me, but if you're going to be such an ass about it..." The blond trailed off, glancing unsurely at the other male.

Sasuke could feel both his fists clenching in rage, and his nostrils flaring. Miraculously, he was able to mutter without blowing up, "Fine, do whatever you want. See if I care." With a final glower at Naruto, the older teen stalked passed the other, impolitely bumping him in the shoulder.

Naruto turned around to shout, "Where are you going?"

"Back to my team," Sasuke explained without looking back. "We're going to have a celebratory dinner. You're not invited." This was half a lie. His teammates _were_ planning on going out to a restaurant, but Sasuke had no intention of joining them. Of course, the clueless blond didn't need to know that.

"Well, a 'fine' to you too! I don't want to be around a stuck-up prick like you anyway!"

Both teens stomped away from each other in opposite directions, neither of them being aware that one was clutching his chest in guilt while the other had tears outlining his eyes in disillusionment.

O-0-O-0-O

The large clock on the wall read a little after seven fifteen by the time Sasuke entered inside his dorm. Closing the door more harshly than he meant to, the dark haired boy was surprised to find his roommate Neji in the room after he had rotated his body around. The long haired brunette teen was presently typing away on his laptop on his bed; he gave Sasuke a raised eyebrow when he saw the disgruntled expression on the other's face.

"You're back earlier than I expected," Neji replied, his focus going back to his laptop.

Strolling over to his own bed, Sasuke sat down with a grunt, "I wasn't in the mood for any more celebration."

"Congratulations are in order, nonetheless."

"Hn."

Nothing further was spoken between the two as Neji's fingers danced across the keys of his personal computer and Sasuke took off his shoes before lying down to stare upward towards the ceiling. An hour of mutual silence then flew them by, and Sasuke all of a sudden wished that the day could just start over again. The argument he had had with Naruto was circulating throughout his mind and a familiar remorse was forming in the pit of his stomach.

Looking back on the words he had angrily spewed at the other, Sasuke resentfully recognized that maybe—just maybe—he had overreacted. Still, the satisfied look on the blasted Sabaku's face previous to Naruto directing him away was more than his enraged self could take. Not to mention that the blond had automatically taken the redheaded teen's side. And that just shouldn't have been the case, Naruto was_ his _boyfriend! He should've taken Sasuke's side without a second thought.

A single jingle coming from his cell phone distracted the black haired Uchiha from his thoughts as he rummaged in his pockets and brought out his device once more. Thinking the ring was from Naruto, Sasuke hastily unlocked his missed messages and scrolled down. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion when he saw that the message was from a private number. Clicking on 'open', the boy's eyes widened as soon as he saw that it was in fact from his renounced older brother.

_Answer your phone at exactly 8:30, _the message revealed.

Peering at the time on his phone, the twenty-ninth minute of the eighth hour punctually turned to thirty. Sasuke's phone began ringing right then as though an invisible force had telepathically called upon it. Sasuke was quick to answer with a simple touch of his mobile.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, little brother. Or in your case, good night," responded a smooth, husky voice full of amusement.

Snickering at his sibling's outward mistake of time, Sasuke meet with, "I would have never expected you to call me so soon, Itachi."

"Have you really such little faith in me?"

Sasuke smirked to himself, looking at his roommate who seemed uninterested in the conversation, before retorting back, "You _would_ ask me that question," he then turned serious as he asked. "How are you and Hidan doing?"

"We're doing splendidly," the older Uchiha announced with a chuckle. "Believe it or not, the both of us are now living in the luxuries of our homeland."

"You're in _Japan_?" Sasuke exclaimed in shock, now understanding the other's strange 'greeting'. "Wha–How? When? I thought father cut you off as soon as he heard about Hidan."

"Haven't I told you before, Sasuke? You should never underestimate me. I have ways of figuring situations out, no matter how dire they may appear to be."

Smiling unintentionally, the pale teen said sincerely. "Then, I'm glad everything is working out for you, nii-san. You had me worried." The younger male was quite delighted actually to hear that his brother and brother's lover were doing so well despite the circumstances.

"No need to worry anymore," Itachi assured him. "I'll fill you into the details later...but first; I want to know how your football game went."

Sasuke blinked once in astonishment. "You remembered?"

"What kind of brother would I be if I didn't remember the most important aspects of your life?"

"It went fine," returned the onyx eyed teen almost curtly. "My team won, naturally." By the end of his rejoice however, the boy's voice had taken a melancholy tinge to it.

"You don't sound as enthusiastic as you normally would have."

Sasuke had the urge to sigh at his brother's blunt perceptiveness. "It's a long story."

"I have more than enough time."

Gazing at Neji again, who was currently fixated on the brightening screen of his laptop, Sasuke contemplated on how he would go about explaining to his brother his distressing predicament. In usual conditions, Sasuke was real quick in pouring his problems out to his older brother. Itachi had always been a good listener, and it was so easy for the younger Uchiha to ask the other for advice. Yet, somehow, he wasn't sure if he was comfortable talking to Itachi about what was going on between him and Naruto. Hell, the boy hadn't even told his brother that he and the blond were in a relationship.

"Well, the thing about that Itachi..." Sasuke trailed his sentence momentarily before starting up again, "...it's complicated." He finished lamely, echoing similar words that Naruto had said to his mother.

"How so?"

Cryptically, the dark haired teen began, still being aware of Neji. "For starters, I have this...'friend' and he's in need of your expertise."

* * *

**I didn't count on all this dialogue, but oh well!**


	10. 9: Old Friends, New Enemies, Part II

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

Chapter 9: Old Friends, New Enemies, Part II

O-0-O-0-O

_It had been the school janitor who eventually found them in the closet._

_The decrepit old man looked like he had been more suited for working in a funeral home rather than being a maintenance keeper for an influential boarding school filled with affluent teenagers. Despite this given fact however, the man did do his job, and he did his job_ well. _That's not to say that he actually enjoyed doing his job; for when he was truly honest with himself, he could admit that the 'work' involved was both strenuous and repugnant._

_And on this particular day in time, the janitor had had to do a double shift after a nasty cleanup inside the boys' bathroom. Strolling through the campus's hallway forty five minutes afterward, the aging figure had made his way to the front of a wooden door that was intricately designed. What he intended to find was nothing compared to what he stumbled upon as he opened the closet door in search of a large bucket._

_Two male students—a raven and a blond—were sitting cross legged in front of each other, faces inches from the other as though the boys were about to kiss. As soon as the light from the hall seeped in to encase around them, the teens seemed to break out of whatever spell they had been under and hastily moved away from one another before standing upright. The janitor had raised a single, graying eyebrow at their previous position, silently wondering how far the two would have gone if he hadn't interrupted them._

_"May I ask what the two of you were doing in there?" The older man had inquired genuinely, still having a firm hold on the door. Comically, the blond's forming blush spread on other parts of his exposed skin as a result of the question. _

_The composed, dark haired teen apparently decided he was the one whom should answer. "The door was broken, we were locked inside," he tilted his head toward the lighter headed male. "It's the moron's fault." The red tinted teen had glared at the brunette in response._

_The janitor had ignored the jibe at the blond and then said in a definite voice, "I'll make sure to take care of the door straight away. Now, why don't the both of you head back to class?"_

_Both boys had nodded their heads in resignation, the golden teen being more urgent in his agreement. The old man then stepped out of the way as the duo walked passed him, ambling side by side as though a gravitational pull was keeping the teens together in a constant rotation._

_The elder janitor had shaken his head to himself as he mused; _I wonder how long those two had been stuck in the closet. _The pun of the saying 'stuck in the closet' wasn't lost on him._

O-0-O-0-O

Sasuke forlornly glanced at his cell phone for what he counted was the eleventh time, the glare from the sun hitting his mobile screen in a counter clockwise angle. The said Uchiha was currently lying on top of his bed in his dorm alone (Neji had left earlier in the morning), contemplating on how he would proceed with apologizing to Naruto in accordance to his brother Itachi's sound advice from the night before. So far, his attempts had been more or less disappointing.

After he had had the phone conversation with Itachi regarding his 'friend's' predicament, his older sibling wisely had explained to him that the 'friend' and the so-called 'friend's girlfriend' were both in the wrong for the way they had acted with one another and that both of them should try to make amends. Sasuke—having a little damage to his pride—sensibly agreed with his brother's reasoning, and the minute he had been able to, he'd disconnected with Itachi and rang in the blond's number. The black haired teen could vividly recall how Naruto's phone had kept ringing and ringing. _He's probably busy with those Sabaku fools, _he remembered telling himself later on, _I hate to admit it, but it might be better if I gave him some space and talked to him tomorrow._

"What good that did me." Sasuke admonished to himself with a sigh.

It was already nearing the hour of ten o'clock in the morning, and Sasuke still hadn't heard from his unruly (hopefully-not-ex) boyfriend. Chancing another quick peek at his cell phone, the pale teen's despondence morphed into an increasing aggravation. Sasuke felt that Naruto was not responding to him on purpose and was worrying him out of spite. Just when he was about to lift off his bed in order to head over to the Uzumaki's dorm, his cellular portable _'dinged' _and a message popped up:_ I'm not dead, just in case you're wondering,_ it read.

Sasuke scowled at Naruto's message and countered with, _I didn't think you were dead, dolt. I want to know why you haven't answered me until now._

_Like I'm going to tell you, jerk! _Was returned thirty seconds later.

Sasuke was on the verge of typing back a vicious retort when Itachi's voice suddenly surfaced into his mind. Erasing what he had started to write, the raven teen came out with a sincere, _Look, Naruto, we're not getting anywhere by going back and forth with each other. I just want to talk to you about last night. Can we meet at my dorm?_

Naruto didn't reply for several moments, but when he did, the Uchiha felt the same scowl from before overwhelm his face. _I can't. I'm not at school; I'm at Gaara Sabaku's place._

To hell with his sincerity! _What. The. Fuck. Naruto?_

_What? I told you I'd be hanging out with him._

_You didn't tell me you'd be going over to his place!_

If Sasuke hadn't been fuming through his ears, the boy would've felt amused imagining Naruto throwing his arms in exasperation as the next message appeared. _You're the one who said I could do what I wanted, and that you didn't care. Remember?_

The older teen was taken aback as his spiteful words from yesterday night crept within his head: _"Fine, do whatever you want. See if I care."_

Okay, so maybe he had said something a little insensitive, but Sasuke chalked that up to the fact that he had been angry during that time. In Sasuke's opinion, there was no reason for Naruto to choose shacking with some stupid redhead who may or may not have an interest in him over spending time with—whoa! Did he really just think that just now? And like some domino effect, the realization of what Sasuke was truly feeling hit him like a ton of bricks.

He was insanely jealous.

Such a heated sensation was unfounded as far as the dark headed youth was concerned. Yes, he knew quite well what the emotion was and had felt trickles of it throughout his own childhood, but he never figured he would feel so...passionate in his jealousy. The knowledge of his now revealed jealousy over Naruto's and the Sabaku's rekindled friendship spread fire inside Sasuke's veins. Now he was more pissed off than before!

With trembling fingers, Sasuke exited from his messaging application and searched through his saved numbers until he came across Naruto's. Pressing the call key on his phone, the teen didn't have to wait long as Naruto picked up on the other end after the second ring.

"Yeah, Sasuke?" Naruto acknowledged with a confused tone. Obviously, the golden teen was curious with the older's abrupt phone call.

"You're going to tell me where you are. _Right_ _Now_." The Uchiha commanded seriously.

"Oh, hell no, Sasuke! You are not just going to call me so suddenly and demand things—"

_"Please."_

Naruto uncharacteristically went quiet for awhile after Sasuke's plea. The older boy could picture the blond blinking stupidly on the other side. "Sasuke..." he finally muttered.

"I really do want to talk to you," stated Sasuke with a sigh. "We both had said things we didn't mean. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I...well...okay, yeah, I agree."

"So, is it okay if I came and got you or did you drive your car over to his place?"

"I rode in with Gaara and his sister, but Sasuke...are you sure you're willing to come on the other side of town just to talk to me?"

The onyx eyed teen halted his mounting impatience and said steadily into the phone, "Yes, I'd be willing to do that just for you." In spite of his annoyance, Sasuke's face bloomed into a genuine smile. _Somehow...everything is going to turn out okay._

O-0-O-0-O

Naruto ended the call immediately after giving Sasuke the directions to Gaara and his siblings' penthouse abode. The beautifully crafted apartment building had been a 'parting gift' from the young Sabakus' self-absorbed father who was more interested in his high-status reputation rather than his own three children. The blue eyed blond breathed out deeply before tossing his cell on the silk covered king-sized bed he was at the moment occupying.

Absentmindedly, the blond then leaned back on the crimson colored sheet until he was in a more comfortable lying position. Naruto let his eyes wander as he gazed around his friend's guest room. The burgundy styled walls were eye-catching as they surrounded the inches of the middling room, but the paint clashed almost horribly with the dark hardwood flooring and the black rug in front of the bed. What made up for the contrast was the cushioned futon in the far corner, the large window overseeing a lovely landscape in the back, the glass table in the middle of the space, the entertainment system near the bed, and the granite covered bathroom on the other side of the futon.

Peering at all the luxury, the tanned teen thought back to his discussion with Sasuke on the phone regarding the night before. In all honesty, Naruto had wanted to contact his boyfriend as soon as he had met up again with Gaara, but subsequently refrained himself once the raven's hurtful words came back into his head. Sasuke had been cold that night, and it had hurt the blond's feelings immensely. Naruto just hoped that the dark haired teen really _did _want to talk and that this wasn't some sort of...

"That was the Uchiha, wasn't it?"

The undaunted voice from the doorway made Naruto nearly jump sky high. Gaara, the one who had asked the question, was casually slanting against the entrance to the guest room with a careless expression on his sculpted face. He was clearly awaiting a response.

"What the hell, Gaara? Are you trying to give me a heart attack or something?" Naruto exclaimed, sitting back up on the bed. "Why don't you bring out the hockey mask and chainsaw while you're at it!"

The redheaded Sabaku overlooked the younger teen's silliness verbally, but a mischievous twinkle did settle in his green orbs. Before Naruto had a chance to fully examine the impish stare though, Gaara reiterated blankly, "The Uchiha, he called you."

Naruto unconsciously tilted his head to the side. "Uh...yeah, he did. He's coming to pick me up in a little while."

Pushing off the doorway, Gaara entered the room with flourish, his right hand lifting from his side to touch the wall nonchalantly. Naruto watched him move around silently, figuring his friend had more to say. He waited uncomplainingly as Gaara stalked the room some more for another few seconds. At last, the pallid teen spoke as he came to stand beside the futon.

"I soured things between you and the Uchiha," was the steady statement.

"Of course you didn't! Sasuke's just always been like that with other people. True, he was more bastard-y than usual, but—"

"You don't have to sugar coat it, Naruto. I know why he doesn't like me, and it's not just because we're rivals in school. The Sabakus and the Uchihas have a long history of animosity toward each other."

The blond gaped at the admittance. "I didn't know your family and his family had a history like that," he murmured. "Why didn't you mention it before?"

Gaara sat down on the futon. "Never thought to, I suppose. My father likes to keep that aspect of his business away from the press."

"You don't have to tell me anymore, if you don't want to."

"I wasn't going to," Gaara replied, the same mischievousness coming into his eyes.

Naruto squawked dubiously. "For being rivals, you and Sasuke sure have the same vindictive personality."

The jade eyed teen's face became emotionless after that. Naruto was about to redeem himself, thinking he had offended the other with his words, when the Sabaku said quite seriously, "You like him," an intelligent gleam replaced Gaara's mischief.

"Well, yeah, I like him. He's my best friend, after all."

"No," the twinkle in his eyes heightened. "I mean you're romantically interested in him."

Naruto paled at the other teen, a nervous chuckle bubbling from his throat. "Gaara, buddy, you're talking crazy. Sasuke and I aren't like that. We're just really good friends."

Gaara didn't utter another word on the subject, although the yellow haired male could tell that the older boy didn't believe him. With one more profound glance at new found blond friend, Gaara then rose from the futon and stepped out of the guest room. Naruto curled into himself after the other had left, his knees coming to rest in front of his torso.

_Shit, shit, shit! How did he figure that out? _Uzumaki worried in panic. _Oh my gosh, what if he decides to tell somebody? Dammit! Why do these things always happen to me?_

Twenty five minutes afterward, both Gaara and Naruto were sitting adjacent to the island in the Sabakus' kitchenette. The two teens had plates of breakfast right in front of them; the smell of waffles and syrup was permeating the air in a sweet fragrance-like aroma. On the other side, in the lavish living room, Gaara's sister Temari was lounging on the leather sofa and reading the latest tabloid whilst attempting to distract herself from the massive hangover she had gotten as a result of partying at the club with Naruto and her brothers.

Because he felt both guilty for going to a club without letting his boyfriend know and awkward with being around Gaara, Naruto refused to make eye contact with anyone. He instead kept his irises focused on the quartz decorated countertop. Truthfully, the blond had no idea how his talk with Sasuke would turn out; it was bad enough that Gaara at least suspected his and Sasuke's secret relationship. And considering the hostility that was between his two friends' families, he knew the risks of revealing such information was dire.

The tension was beneficially broken when Gaara's older brother Kankuro came barging into the living room. "Good morning bitches and hoes!" As soon as the tactless greeting emerged from the painted faced youth's mouth, Kankuro shot his younger sibling a sheepish grin as murderous green eyes met his own. "...and Gaara."

_Thank you, Kankuro and your distracting ways! _"Hey, how come me and Temari are the bitch and the hoe?" Naruto asked with a playful glare on his countenance.

"Because both you and my sister are blonde bimbos." The comment earned the young man a punch in the shoulder from Naruto and a swat of the magazine to his face from Temari. "Ow, that hurt!"

"Dumbass," Temari muttered underneath her breath.

"I know you are, but what am I?" Kankuro countered. Temari was about to hit him over the head, but the pounding headache became too much and she instead gripped her temples with groan. "You should really hold back on the liquor, Tem, and be a responsible drunk, like me!"

Naruto's boisterous laughter was cut short when vibration from his cell phone buzzed in his pants pocket. He delved inside his clothing and flipped open his mobile; the teen had received a message from Sasuke stating that the said black haired boy was currently outside of the apartment waiting for him. As he read the electronic mail, the oldest Sabaku male looked over his shoulder to take a peek.

"So, who's it from?" Kankuro spoke teasingly in Naruto's ear, causing the blond boy to flinch. "Your girlfriend?"

The whiskered teen's face grew red while Gaara smirked in his direction.

O-0-O-0-O

Sasuke could grudgingly confess (only to himself, mind you) that the Sabakus' apartment structure was fittingly refined. While leaning against his parked vehicle next to the curb, he took in the exterior: an updated gingerbread woodwork with brick red painted shutters and a tanned color trim. The building had a mere thirty stories on it, but the size of the construction was enough to intimidate a more humbled person.

The dark headed male felt an involuntary smile lift his lips as Naruto exited from the lowering escalator on the other side of the building's window and headed towards him. The morning breeze ruffled the younger's bangs as Naruto came out through the entrance's doors. Sasuke made sure to erase his face of any outward emotion before the blond stopped walking to stand in front of him. He didn't want Naruto to know how excited he was to see him, at least not at that moment. The two gazed at one another for several seconds prior to both teens opening their mouths to talk at the same time.

"Naruto, I—"

"We, um...Sasuke—"

The couple then shut their mouths in unison, a few snickers somehow escaping from their parted lips in their anxiety. With a deep breath, Sasuke began with, "I was wrong last night for snapping at you. That was very unfair of me to put my frustrations out on you like that. Forgive me."

Naruto gave the older boy a lopsided smile. "Well, I guess I didn't make it easy for you. I'm sorry too...for worrying you so much."

A snort, followed by denial. "I wasn't worried about you."

"Will you just accept my apology? Gosh, why is everything so complex with you?" Naruto rolled his eyes.

"'Cause you're too simple."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what it means."

"You know what? I'm not about to have this argument with you again."

"How is it an argument when you've never been able to prove your case?"

"Shut the hell up, Sasuke!" The blue eyed blond finally exploded, yet had a full blown smile of pearly whites.

The Uchiha chuckled to himself before stalking around his Viper to unlock the car doors. He and Naruto soon after climbed inside the vehicle, fastening their seat belts. Turning on the ignition and putting his car into drive, Sasuke rotated the steering wheel to make a U-turn and then cruised through the well-to-do neighborhood.

"So," Sasuke started, keeping his eyes peeled on the highway. "What did you end up doing with the...Sabakus?"

Naruto shrugged, trying to appear indifferent when inside he felt uneasy. "We just hung out, is all. Before going back to their place, we went to a dance club. I didn't drink or anything, promise." A sly grin suddenly came upon his face. "Although... Gaara and I did flirt a little."

A screeching of the tires was the response to the blond's blatant mockery. Sasuke had completely pressed on the brakes to stop the car in his wrath. "What was that?" He voice was dangerously low.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! It was just a joke! I didn't flirt with anyone! I was just messing with you!"

O-0-O-0-O

Later that evening, after much coaxing to calm his lover down—_"Really was just a joke, Sasuke! It was payback for insulting my intelligence again."—_Naruto was curled up on top of his dark headed boyfriend on his bed in his dorm, his roommate Lee being away for the rest of the night. The two earlier had engaged in some much needed foreplay; the highlight of their exploration ending with a mutual masturbation. The boys' naked bodies were sweaty and clammy and sticking to the blankets, but Naruto couldn't find it in himself to care as he released a contented sigh.

Still on a pleasurable peak, Naruto whispered on the other's chest. "Hey, Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"Remember when you told me I was the only one you liked?"

"Hn."

"Well, I just want you to know that you're the only boy I like. I wouldn't purposely flirt with Gaara or anyone for that matter. You believe me?"

The tanned teen could feel Sasuke smile against his fuzzy crown. "Yes," he tightened his hold on the younger male possessively. "It's good to hear that you belong only to me."

The pair went silent for a second, enjoying the calm, and then: "Say, Sasuke...I heard about you and Gaara's family feud. You want to tell me about it?"

"...Go to sleep, Naruto."


	11. 10: It's Your Birthday, Shorty! Part I

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

**A/N**: I meant to have this chapter out months ago, but sometimes things don't work out the way we want them to. I do apologize for the long wait, nevertheless.

* * *

10: It's Your Birthday, Shorty! Part I

O-0-O-0-O

"...No way, Sakura."

"Oh, c'mon Naruto! Don't you want to have a party for your birthday next week?"

"No. No, I don't."

"I'm actually surprised at you, Dickless. I thought _you_ of all people would be thrilled for such an occasion."

"Shove it, ass breath!"

"As much as I hate to agree with Sai and forehead, I'm going to have to side with them on this one. You're about to turn seventeen, yet you're acting as though it's the end of the world. Why don't you want to do anything for your birthday?"

Naruto's once annoyed expression morphed into slight bemusement as he stared back at the three eager faces awaiting his answer from across the table. For the last fifteen minutes of their lunch break, Sakura, Ino, and (un)predictably Sai had been hounding the blond about his upcoming birthday. The crowd of students in the cafeteria had drowned out the four's discussion while the rest of their friends had either talked amongst themselves or had watched the others from the sidelines. Yet as they witnessed their usually wayward friend behave in an uncharacteristic state of silence, the group of peers all turned their heads to see how the other would respond.

One of the things most people didn't fully understand about Naruto was his lack of interest pertaining to his date of birth. With the exception of Sasuke and a number of his relatives, no one comprehended that Naruto viewed his birthday as some sort of sinister omen. Of course, any person would think of their special day in such a fashion if they had had to deal with what the blue eyed boy had had to deal with a few of those times.

It had all started a year after he had been born. Minato and Kushina had planned for his one year birthday party, preparing to invite friends and associates alike. The morning he had turned one, a rival of his father's had attempted to kidnap and use him as insurance. Fortunately, one of Minato's loyal colleagues had botched the endeavor while the remainder of the party guests had been kept in the dark. And although Naruto had been too young to remember the incident, it still left a bitter taste in his mouth that someone had been willing to exploit him.

Six years after that first occurrence, around the time he had met Sasuke coincidentally, the golden haired boy had just been released from his classroom when he heard the familiar jingle of the ice cream truck cruising through the neighborhood. Having forgotten that he was supposed to wait inside the school building for his parents, Naruto had chased after the sound from across the street, inattentively unaware of the vehicle heading straight for him. He had been hit dead on, but had received only minor injuries. The boy had then stayed in the hospital for a few days, and the scratches on his cheeks had been stitched up for him. The whisker marks on his countenance were the visible remnants of his foolishness.

Lastly, on his thirteenth birthday, a serial killer known merely as the infamous 'Kyuubi' went on a murderous spree in his city, taking the lives of nine individuals. That night, instead of having a peaceful dinner with his family, Naruto had been subjected to the horrors of one human being as he along with Minato and Kushina had watched Kyuubi flee from the police on live television. Eventually, the man had been caught and arrested by the authorities, but the fact of the matter was that the Uzumaki had had a ruined birthday.

So, in regards to Naruto's thinking, he thought his birthday could do without a proper celebration.

"Leave him alone," interjected one black haired Uchiha when it became apparent that the mentioned three weren't going to let up on Naruto. "If the moron doesn't want to celebrate his birthday, he doesn't have to."

Naruto shot the older teen a quick, grateful smile before resorting back to his loud antics. "Yeah, it's my decision—hey, wait! Who're calling a moron, moron?"

Sasuke's dark eyes twinkled as he retorted, "The fact that you have to ask that question again when you know it clearly relates to you justifies me in calling you a 'moron'."

The blond growled at the blatant affront as the throng of friends laughed at his expense; secretly though, he was glad that Sasuke was trying to sway their attention from him. It always made Naruto feel good to know that his best friend was willing to have his back, even when he insulted him afterwards. To outwardly shield the giddiness in his chest, Naruto went right into his boisterous actions, yelling back at the superior mortal solely recognized as Sasuke Uchiha.

Sai's customary smile faltered just a bit as he watched Naruto and Sasuke go back and forth in their verbal brawl. The two aforesaid males, for some unknown reason, rubbed him the wrong way. He wasn't sure whether that was because of the pair themselves or because of their friendship. Either way, he was determined to have the very last word. _Maybe tweedle dee and tweedle dum are willing to drop the subject for their 'precious Sasuke', but I'm not..._

"I still say you should have a party for your birthday," Sai disrupted the pearls of chuckles around the table. "You could hire strippers as entertainment." His grin from before expanded as both Sasuke and Naruto threw him heated looks.

"I wholly agree," Kiba pushed his way into the conversation, ignoring the glare from Naruto as he put a friendly arm around the younger's shoulders. "It could be like a covert bachelor-birthday smash! You would've all the honeys lining up to get with you and all the dudes around wanting to be you. It would be awesome!"

"Get your paws off me, dog boy," Naruto hissed.

Kiba removed his arm as though he had been burned; wincing when he saw the amount of anger that was swirling in the blond's cerulean orbs. Before anyone could comment on Naruto's strange behavior, the school bell rang throughout the campus, prompting students to clean their trash and head for the auditorium's exit. Naruto was the first one of the group to part away, seemingly leaving his friends in irritation.

Sasuke released a sigh as he dumped out his food in the bin and followed his fellow pupils out of the said building. In the corner of his eye, he saw a cluster of girls staring in his direction. He at first thought the girls were focused on him; but as he left the cafeteria and the afternoon sun shined on his face, he realized that they had been observing his group of friends intently. Sasuke couldn't pinpoint what those females were pondering about; he just hoped that whatever it was, it wouldn't become anything too serious.

O-0-O-0-O

Naruto faintly smiled as he departed from his last class of the school day. Even though he was still irked that some of his friends had had the audacity to bring up his birthday, he walked with a skip in his step, wanting to appear as he typically did—like an unpredictable, yet playful blond. As he sauntered amongst the horde of students that had just been released from some of their classes, he noticed that a handful of teens were both gawking and pointing at him.

The crammed hallway seemed to fall into a hush as Naruto continued on with his trek. It was as though a majority of the students in the corridor were watching him. It wasn't until he was several feet from his dorm quarters that he heard the whispers.

"...I think you should be the one to ask him..."

"..Me? Why me?"

"...Because you're closer—" The three girls that had been trailing behind the blond ceased conversing abruptly when Naruto spun towards them with a click of his tongue.

"Look, whatever you want to ask me, just ask me. No more secrecy, please," Naruto said with an exasperated pout.

The girls giggled at his sour appearance, one of them going as far as to say 'too cute' underneath her breath. The so-called leader of their pack took the initiative to speak as she strode closer to the aggravated looking boy.

"Well, um, we were kinda wondering when and where your birthday party was going to be."

"...Come again?"

"Your birthday party," the leader girl repeated more slowly, as though she were talking to a mere child. "We know it's sometime next week, 'cause everybody's been talking about it, but we want to know the details."

Naruto shook his head in order to clear his racing thoughts. "I'm sorry, but did you just say everybody's been talking about it?"

The leader rolled her eyes as she plainly stated, "Duh."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Naruto shouted at the top of his lungs, disregarding the startled expressions on the teen females' face.

Without waiting for the girls' response, Naruto took off in the opposite direction, a destination set in his mind. While ambling through Seasonal Leaf's halls, he rummaged in his pockets to take out his cell phone. He pressed the device to his ear after sorting through his call list, internally pleading that the one person he needed to see would indeed answer his phone before he reached the other's dorm room.

The person on the other line picked up after the third ring. "What is it, Naruto?"

"Are you in your dorm room right now?"

"Yes, but I—"

"Good," the blond teen interrupted smoothly. "I'll be there in a few."

Ending the call to his mobile, Naruto then put it back in his slack's pocket and made his way to the upper dorms on the other side of campus. Reaching the familiar door some minutes later, the Uzumaki knocked on the barricade urgently. When the door didn't open after a significant amount of time, Naruto's face flushed in frustration, pounding on the wooden surface again in his mounting temper.

"Sasuke!" yelled Naruto, disturbing some of the residents in the hallway nearby. "You better bring your ass out here before I—! Oh, um, hey Neji. How's it goin'?" The younger boy sheepishly stroked the back of his head subsequent to Neji opening up the door and staring at him.

The long haired brunette merely raised an eyebrow at the other in amusement. "I'm doing quite well, seeing as though you last saw me a couple of hours ago."

Naruto chuckled uneasily. "Er, right," he dropped his hand to his side and said. "I, uh, need to speak with Sasuke, if you don't mind."

Neji moved to the side, gesturing in the room with his hand. "Be my guest. I'm heading out anyway; I have a project to work on with Tenten."

"Thanks," muttered the whisker scarred boy as he entered the room before Neji sauntered the other way, closing the door as he did so.

Sasuke was currently sitting in a lone chair in the corner, typing away on the available laptop that was situated on a brown painted counter. He had replaced his uniform with a gray T-shirt, blue jeans, and white socks. Naruto appreciated his choice of casual wear, making himself comfortable on his boyfriend's straightened bed. Naruto knew he wouldn't be able to keep the quite up for long.

Amazingly, the raven teen was the one whom broke the silence as he stated without turning around. "What was so urgent that you had to race over here to see me?"

"I wanted to know if you heard what must be 'rumors' about my 'supposed' birthday party."

"Yes, unfortunately."

"What? How? Please explain this to me."

"I'm assuming it all started during lunch break, when we had been discussing your birthday. Apparently, some girl named Ayame heard us talking and told her friends that you were having a party. She along with some other girls as of late have been organizing for preparations to make the event a possibility."

"How do you know all that?" Naruto questioned, absentmindedly biting at his fingernails as he stood upward.

Rotating the laptop around so that its screen faced Naruto, the Uchiha answered. "It's all over the bulletin board on the school's website."

Naruto bent down to take a closer look, his eyes widening when he read the given information. "You think you can stop all this, S'uke?"

"I've been trying, but I don't think even my influence can stop the rumors. It's in too deep."

"Aw, man," Naruto complained, sitting back down on the edge of Sasuke's bed. "Well...I guess I will go along with it for now, since people are willing to use their money on me. It still blows, though." Lowering his head in defeat, the blond boy was surprised when he felt a soothing hand tilt his chin. Sasuke gazed at him with magnetic onyx irises, trying to ease the other as he sat down beside him.

"You don't have to go along with it," the brunette proposed, using the same hand from before to tuck a stray hair behind Naruto's ear. "You have a choice, you know."

Naruto smiled a sad sort of smile as he whispered, "I wouldn't be who I am if I didn't sacrifice something for the greater good."

To Naruto's chagrin, the gossip behind his approaching birthday party wouldn't die down as the days passed. If anything, the gossip had become one of the first topics of a lot of the students' conversations. Within the following week, Naruto had tried and failed to dissuade his peers' silly notions involving his date of birth. He had even gone as far as announcing that there would be no party, and that the whole thing was only a rumor. What that got him was some laughs and an unknown person throwing an empty yogurt carton at him.

By Friday, a day before his 'planned' party and two days before his actually birthday, Naruto remained tight lipped, declining to correct people when they brought up the get-together. After his final class, the golden teen robotically stalked to his dorm room and jumped into his bed after he had gotten inside. Overlooking the fact that he was still dressed in his uniform, the blond wrapped his comforter around his body and shut his eyes to sleep.

Several calls coming from his cell phone were missed as he reveled in his slumber, the vibration of the device reverberating all through the muted room. Out of those calls, only one person left a message: his grandmother, Tsunade.

_"Hey brat, it's me,_ she left on his unanswered voicemail. _"I was just calling to let you know that your parents sent you a package in the mail early this morning. When you get a chance, please stop by and pick it up. And I know you have qualms about this, but the pervert and I would really like to see you on your b-day. Talk to you later kiddo, bye. _

O-0-O-0-O

Saturday, October ninth.

The day before his hated day. The day before he dreaded...everything.

The day before he would imagine evil creatures from beyond the grave somehow finding him and swallowing him.

The very idea wasn't too farfetched. Halloween was just around the corner, after all.

"Can someone remind me why I'm doing this again?"

The two glamorously dressed girls flanking Naruto's side rolled their eyes in unison as he continued to grumble; they then grabbed each of his arms and dragged him toward the over 800 foot structure standing right in front of them. Ino and Sakura had done a lot to get Naruto out of bed, and they weren't going to stop now just because their friend was being so difficult.

The aforementioned structure was a luxurious hotel that was similar to an Art Deco design. The building was made of stainless steel, Chrome, inlaid wood, and brick and the interior housed about fifty-five floors, excluding the indoor swimming pool, gym, bar and ballroom—where Naruto's party was selected to be held. The three said teens entered inside the ballroom's entrance belatedly at eleven p.m. The party had been scheduled to start at nine o'clock, but Sakura thought it would be 'inspiring' for them to arrive later.

The ballroom was just as lavish as its outside counterpart. The large space was of a rectangular shaped width with bamboo floors, well-built windows on the four sides, and tasteful wallpaper. The preparations were what added to the splendor; there were blue and white balloons huddled together in some of the corners, several tables covered with white linen were presented with food and drinks, a DJ and his stand were situated on the left hand side, a massive five foot cake sat on top of a serving counter and...the people! There were so many people around! Naruto was sure that more than half of them he didn't even know.

"Look who's here!" Sakura shouted over the music and the dancing slash conversing crowd.

Heads turned as the three sauntered forward. As soon as the multitude of teens saw Naruto, applause and whoops surrounded the room with some of the people taking the time to walk over to the blond and greet him properly.

"I hate this," Naruto mumbled underneath his breath, being pulled from one person to the next. He usually enjoyed people paying attention to him, but this was too much.

"H-Happy Birthday, N-Naruto," Hinata welcomed bashfully, pushing her two index fingers together as Naruto was literally shoved in her direction.

"Thank you, Hinata," Uzumaki offered sincerely, winded. "Not that I wouldn't appreciate it, but I hope you didn't get me a huge gift," he flinched when he spotted the amount of wrapped presents that were on the other side of the room. _And those are just the gifts I've seen so far..._

The lilac haired girl blushed and giggled kindly. "I g-got you a couple of g-gifts, but this one's not too e-extravagant." She dug into her party dress that had a hidden pocket. "Here," she said, handing him the envelope that she had brought out.

Naruto didn't waste any time opening the sachet. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he took in the gift card inside. "You got me a two year subscription to Ichiraku's?_!_ Oh, thanks, Hinata! You're the best!"

The embrace bestowed upon the girl had Hinata turning so red she was almost purple. "Y-You're welcome," she stuttered. Naruto removed his arms from around her seconds later, smiling at her handsomely as he stepped back. Hinata was truly enchanted with the look. "Um, Naruto, I hope you don't think me too forward, but would you mind danc—?"

"Hey, Uzumaki!" An unfamiliar feminine voice bellowed out.

Both Hinata and Naruto twisted their heads around to see which person had called out to the blond. A red headed female with brown eyes and pale skin stalked toward the pair, a set of gray haired twins following behind her with smirks on their faces. Naruto appeared confused as the trio halted their movements in front of him.

"Um...hi. Do I know you three?" asked Naruto.

"I'm Tayuya," the redhead introduced. "That's Sakon and Ukon, good friends of mine. Do you want to dance?"

Naruto was taken aback with her abrupt question. She hadn't even said 'happy birthday', not that he particularly cared about that. "With all three of you?"

"No, with me!" Tayuya snapped heatedly before a sickening sweet smile adorned her face. "Let's go," she grasped his elbow and pulled him away before he could say anything else. Hinata watched the four teens leave her with crestfallen expression.

Tayuya guided Naruto to the center of the room where most of the occupants were dancing to a contemporary, fast-paced song. She then released his arm prior to seductively grinding her hips against Naruto's. The blond stood still as numerous bodies moved all around him; he looked from left to right, wondering where the girl's male friends had gone. He also was on the look out for Sasuke; having a jealous boyfriend wouldn't be fun.

"You're supposed to move your hips. Like this," she proclaimed, showing Naruto by putting her hands on his waist and steering him from side to side.

The blue eyed teen slightly shoved the redhead from his personal space. "I don't need dance lessons," he said with attitude, his cheeks flushing to a nice pink.

"Could've fooled me, dork," Tayuya teased with a cruel smirk.

"I'm not a dork! Who the hell are you to say that?_!_"

Instead of seeming offended, Tayuya looked pleased as she leaned forward to whisper in the male's ear, resuming their swaying. "I knew I would like you. You're feisty."

Naruto sputtered, feeling flattered and snubbed at the same time. "Uh...thanks?"

"Yeah," she continued, her hand traveling to rest on Naruto's lower back. "I won't mind at all being your first."

"...My first, what?"

The tanned boy's body jumped in shock as he heard the next word from the other's mouth.

"Fuck."

* * *

**Yeah, it ends on a cliffhanger. Sasuke enters the party next chapter. Stay tuned.**


	12. 11: It's Your Birthday, Shorty! Part II

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto. (I also don't own 50 Cent's 'In Da Club')

* * *

11: It's Your Birthday, Shorty! Part II

O-0-O-0-O

Sasuke arrived outside of the ballroom's entrance at exactly eleven eighteen, his face the picture of nonchalance as he gazed upon the mass of party guests coming in and out of the hotel's building. Walking on the pathway that led to the double doors, the dark haired teen nodded in greeting to those that looked his way, the autumn air gently ruffling his black locks as he resumed his amble. As soon as he came inside the ballroom, the sounds of pulsing music, incessant chatter, and risqué dancing assaulted his hearing. The Uchiha inwardly sneered when a handful of females saw him and attempted to talk to him as though he were interested in their frivolous babble. It would never cease to annoy him on how desperate these girls could actually be.

Pushing his way passed the various girls whining in protest at his abrupt dismissal, Sasuke subtly looked around the room in search of one particular blond haired figure. His eyes then caught a glint of a golden halo, a distinct color that differed compared to the other blond teens that were present in the vicinity. He swiftly followed that halo to the center of the extent where he found his boyfriend dancing, no..._grinding _against some redheaded bimbo! What the hell was this? Sasuke could feel as his blood pressure increased, his veins in his temple throbbed, and his vision distorted into a red hue. Sasuke couldn't even overlook the fact that Naruto didn't seem to want to dance in such a manner.

Marching through the crowd of people in his anger to reach his boyfriend, Sasuke scowled at anyone who made a noise of complaint towards him. He came up behind Naruto within a few seconds, grabbing onto the younger's shirt just as the latter backed away from the once whispering redhead. Naruto didn't get a chance to be relieved from the interruption; he twisted his head and came face to face with a furious expression complete with heated onyx irises. _Oh, shit! _The blond groaned in his head, figuring Sasuke had witnessed the close exchange involving himself and Tayuya and wasn't too happy about it.

Opening his mouth to explain, Naruto was brusquely cut off as Tayuya stepped forward with a scowl of her own. "What the fuck, Uchiha? Can't you see we're dancing here?"

Sasuke turned his enraged face on the girl, looking her up and down in disdain. "Hn," he grunted, disregarding her comment. "Let's go, Naruto," he directed to the other boy, dragging him away from the dance floor. The two males ignored the fuming red headed female as she let out a stream of curses in her wake.

"Sasuke, what are you—?" Naruto was in the process of protesting when he saw Sasuke's eyes flash irately. The blond teen shut his mouth with a snap. Now wasn't the time to provoke the Uchiha.

The black headed male continued to pull him forward until the two came across one of the tables that were vacant. Sasuke then released his hold on the other, he and Naruto sitting down next to each other with tension building between them. Sasuke didn't waste any time however, leaning to the frontward to whisper angrily in Naruto's ear.

"What do you think you were doing, rubbing your hips against that skank's?"

With his mood switching from uneasy to upset, Naruto had to tell himself to calm down before he started yelling at his boyfriend. "Are you really going to do this to me right now, Sasuke?" His asked in a matching whisper, some bite coming into his words.

"Why were you dancing with that...girl?" Sasuke wasn't going to let up, was he?

"I think it would be better if we talked about this later."

"No, you are going to tell me now. I have a right to know why you were—"

"Yes, you do," the blue eyed blond agreed, still speaking softly, "but now isn't the best time. I already have to deal with a bunch of people I don't know because of a party I didn't even want. The least you can do is wait until _after _my birthday to be all pissed at me over something you know little about."

The raven teen frowned, not at all liking the other boy's response. Yes, he understood that Naruto's birthday was in less than an hour and that he should play nice; but damn it, he was seething! He could never describe the feeling of seeing someone else touch what was his. It drove him absolutely insane! Sasuke had such an urge to scream. He could still feel the throbbing in his temples again, the anger circulating to pump his adrenaline.

Yet, as he stared back at Naruto's pleading face, the older boy counted to ten mentally before he answered as coolly as he could, "Don't make me regret this."

Naruto frowned in return, more than a little hurt with Sasuke's attitude. Right before he had the opportunity to say anything else, a group of four girls came sauntering towards him, the one in the front—a cute brown haired girl—bending down to embrace him tightly.

"Happy Birthday, Naruto!" All the girls happily said in unison once the main girl had loosened him.

"Oh, uh, thanks," replied Naruto, stroking the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"You are so darling!" The main girl gushed, clasping her hands together. "And I love your outfit! Very urban." She looked down at his skinny jeans, large T-shirt, and orange Jordans before introducing herself. "I'm Ayame, by the way."

Naruto gave a half smile, too cheerless to smile genuinely. "It's nice to officially meet the person who arranged all this," he gestured the whole area of the ballroom with his hand. "I suppose I should thank you." _Even though I never wanted any of it..._

"No problem," Ayame said, her smile widening in gratitude. "I'm glad you came. All I want is for you to have fun on your birthday. You deserve it."

_Too bad it's the complete opposite right now. _"I'm sure I will," Naruto half lied, a fake grin emerging from his mouth.

Ayame beamed at Naruto a last time prior to shifting her eyes to rest on Sasuke. "I'm glad you could make it too, Sasuke. How are you enjoying yourself?" The raven's response to her question was to narrow his eyes into two slits. Sensing his displeasure, the brunette female went right back to talking with the other male.

Naruto then chatted with the girls for a few more minutes, the remaining three giving the blond their names as well. When the DJ announced that the partygoers were going to sing 'happy birthday' to the Uzumaki in a half an hour, the said females granted the male a group hug before walking away to blend into the horde of teens. Naruto let out a sigh, turning back around to confront Sasuke. He actually wasn't surprised to see that the older boy wasn't even looking in his direction, seemingly fine with ignoring Naruto's presence. Nonetheless, the blond wasn't about to let him off the hook that easily.

"So, what? Are you planning on ignoring me now?" questioned Naruto with a glare. Sasuke stubbornly refused to peer the blond's way, his jaw set firmly. "Fine," the younger hissed after a long pause, standing upward from his chair as Sasuke remained motionless. "Since you insist on being an ass, I'm going to go sit somewhere else. Come find me once you've gotten over yourself." And with that, Naruto literally stomped in the other direction, giving himself a mental pat on the back for not punching out the jerk.

O-0-O-0-O

_"Happy Birthday to you..."_

_"Happy Birthday to you..."_

_"Happy Birthday, dear, Naruto..."_

_"Happy Birthday to you...!"_

Crystalline orbs stared heedlessly at the brightly decorated cake situated in front of him, the lingered singing in the background becoming a resonance of unwanted memories. The following clapping and cheering seemed to draw Naruto out of his reverie as the said teen regarded his deliciously made baked sweet. The outer frosting was both white and orange in dye, a detail that Naruto was truly pleased about. It appeared that Ayame and her posse at least had the decency to use one of his favorite colors. On the very top of the cake were the numbered candles '1' and '7' to equal seventeen, the wax shape bordered in orange and crimson; underneath, on the middle part of the cake, were ten separate candles that were a couple of inches apart; and finally, on the bottom, the remaining seven candles were in a straight line highlighted in blue.

Waiting for all the applause to cease, Naruto then leaned forward to blow out the candles, puffing many times to get the deed done. Some of the people that had been behind him had helped him out before a renewed ovation sounded throughout the ballroom. The tanned boy found himself smiling authentically as he spun back to face the crowd. In spite of everything, Naruto did realize that his peers cared enough about him to celebrate his birthday. The thought unexpectedly left a warm sensation in his chest.

A pair of ebony eyes watched the blond smile beautifully, and a heart clenched at such a tender scene. Sasuke nearly flinched when Naruto's eyes somehow found his in the large multitude of bodies. Instead of frowning at him like the raven initially thought he would do, Naruto's smile widened at seeing him, a slight blush warming his cheeks. Sasuke couldn't help but smile back, mouthing the words 'happy birthday' as midnight came and went by quickly. _I know we still have things to clear up, _Sasuke reasoned in his mind. _But how can I stay mad when he looks at me like that?_

"Happy Birthday, Shorty!" One random teen shouted out, prompting several of the occupants to laugh merrily.

Naruto immediately lost his smile as he barked an indignant, "Hey!"

_"Go shawty, it's your birthday! We gonna party like it's your birthday!" _the ever impulsive Kiba began to sing, triggering a contagion to settle over the other teens. A majority of the party guests joined into the chant before the DJ started playing the beat of the familiar song.

Half of the people present started dancing on the floor while the other half either left the party or helped themselves to a slice of cake. Naruto clumsily maneuvered through the mass of moving bodies, making his way to a table where his friends Shikamaru, Choji, Neji, Shino and Lee were sitting. He conversed with the five boys for roughly twenty minutes, declining on dancing with any person who dared ask him. He didn't want a repeat of the episode between him and Sasuke.

It wasn't until after twelve thirty that the blond removed himself from the aforementioned seat and began mingling with others. He was disappointed to discover that Sasuke was apparently nowhere to be found. His brief anger from beforehand surfaced as he reflected on his selfish boyfriend. Why did Sasuke always have to get mad over things? Why couldn't he be a normal human being who didn't let their temper get the best of them?

Naruto was startled from his musings when Kiba appeared from behind him and draped an arm on his shoulder. "Hey, how ya...doing...birthday...boy?"

The golden teen raised his eyebrows at the darker haired male's slurring. "Did, um, someone slip something in your drink?" He asked as he gazed at the half full cup in Kiba's other hand.

The brunette giggled drunkenly as he stated, "Prob'ly."

"Okay then, I think you're about done now," Naruto declared, reaching for the drink slowly so that he wouldn't alarm the other.

Kiba shook his head as he slanted his occupied hand away from the blond's fingers. "Y-You should try some," the older mumbled instead.

"Nah, dude, I'm—" Naruto stopped mid-sentence when the Inuzuka thrusted the plastic cup to his lips. The former sputtered as the taste of an alcoholic beverage leaked into his opened mouth. "Kiba!" Naruto screamed, pushing the other teen from him with his right arm. "What the hell do you think you're doing?_!_"

"Taste good...right?" Kiba gave him a lopsided smile, his brown eyes glazing.

Red in the face from annoyance, the blue eyed teen was about to give the older a piece of his mind until the orange flavor of the spiked drink erupted in his mouth. "Actually, yeah, it tastes _really _good..."

"Here. You can have it," Kiba garbled, handing Naruto his cup before stalking away.

Naruto's protest died on his lips as he witnessed the brunette retreat farther from him. Eying the plastic cup suspiciously, Naruto took another sip, gauging to see how tainted the drink was. Once he deemed that he wasn't bound to fall over any time soon, the blond gulped the rest of it. And as he put the cup down on a random table full of people, Naruto inwardly vowed that he would not touch another drink for the remainder of the night.

O-0-O-0-O

Uzumaki practically swooned as he felt long fingers run through his blond hair, his buzzed head resting on somebody else's shoulder. He was sitting with three of his female friends—Tenten, Sakura, and Ino—in one of the two booths in the ballroom with him being in the middle of them. Across from the four sat Sai for some reason, the pale boy's face plastered with his identified grin.

Naruto, in all honesty, had no idea how it had come to this. He had told himself not to have another drink, reminiscing on the time that he had gotten drunk only to lose his virginity to his male best friend. He had been doing a pretty good job in avoiding the beverages for awhile; but the outward absence of his raven haired companion struck something in him. Before he knew it, he had downed three more cups and was now on the verge of losing his mind to oblivion.

"You okay, Naruto?" He heard Tenten's voice ask in concern.

Lifting his head from what he knew was Sakura's shoulder, Naruto said groggily. "I think so," he then went silent for several seconds before he proclaimed, "I have to piss." Naruto afterward stood from his cushioned seat, nearly stumbling as he left the booth and headed for the restrooms.

Ino and Sakura scrunched up their noses in displeasure. "That's gross," the blonde one shot back. "We don't want to know all your business!"

"You guys think its okay for him to go off alone?" Sakura wondered worriedly.

"He's a big boy," Ino uttered. "He can take care of himself."

"Yeah," interposed the black headed male on the other side. "What are you, his mother?"

"Get bent, Sai," was the pink haired girl's quick retort.

Unbeknownst to Naruto's friends, four sets of eyes were following the blond male's movements. Tayuya, Sakon, and Ukon smirked amongst themselves as they saw Naruto separate from his overprotective group. With swiftness, she and her two cohorts ambled in the direction where Naruto had walked. They came upon a hallway in the corner which led to the public lavatories. Tayuya briefly glanced at a pair of boys whom exited the restroom before turning to face Ukon and Sakon.

"Guard this door," she ordered, pointing to the men's restroom. "Don't let anybody in." The twins nodded at her instructions with leers on their faces as she walked passed them to enter the room. Besides Naruto, there was another boy inside, washing his hands—most likely a freshman from the way he looked. Tayuya was just glad that neither of them was using the urinal. Leaning against the wall casually, she asked the other boy. "Aren't you quite finished?"

Seeing her brown eyes hardened, the unnamed boy shakily nodded his head. "Y-Yes..."

"Then get the hell out of here before I hurt you."

"I'm gone!" The boy yelped, leaving in a flash.

Tayuya didn't even acknowledge as the other male departed; she sauntered her way to Naruto who hadn't noticed her entrance. The golden teen was slumped in front of one of the sinks, seemingly trapped in his own little world. His bowed head rose to look at his reflection in the mirror, cringing when a now recognizable redhead smirked back at him.

Revolving his body around, Naruto said lowly. "Uh...you are aware that this is the _men's _bathroom...right?"

Disregarding the other teen's obvious opposition, Tayuya sexily walked forward into Naruto's space. "I'm _very _aware, but that won't stop me from getting what I want."

"W-What _do_ you want?"

"You already know," responded Tayuya, gripping two of Naruto's belt loops with her index fingers. "I told you I'm going to be your first fuck."

Sensing he was in trouble once his brain became lucid, Naruto cried. "I-I...I'm not going to sleep with you! I don't even know you!" Naruto strived to slither from the seducing female; but Tayuya wouldn't have any of it, pushing against his hips with her own.

"Then we'll get to know each other...intimately."

"You're crazy! What's in it for you anyway?"

"Oh, give me a break," Tayuya was almost straddling the blond. "I know you remember that bet between you and the Uchiha. I just figured I would help you out since I like fucking virgins. Don't you want to get some before that tight wad?"

"Tight wad? Why the hell are you...calling him...that? Do you have something against Sasuke?" Naruto dazedly snapped, shoving the girl from off his lap. Unfortunately, the aggressive move didn't deter the redhead.

Tayuya glowered fiercely. "I hate him; that's all you need to know."

"What—" Naruto's eyes bulged as a soft hand dug inside his pants to grasp his limp member. Cerulean orbs fluttered as the stroking below brought pleasure inside his taut fitting jeans.

The brown eyed girl smirked as Naruto's face flushed, his moans echoing through the restroom. "You like that, don't you?" She whispered, bending forward to poke her tongue out and use the wet muscle to lick the shell of his ear.

"S-Stop..." the Uzumaki beseeched, the sensation of erotic pressure taking over him. Why was he letting this girl take advantage of him? Why was she doing this? And why, oh why, were his birthdays so fucked up? _Nothing could ever be simple, could it?_ He could just imagine how distraught his boyfriend would be if the other found him like this. Picturing Sasuke's handsome face gave Naruto enough strength to push the female off of him. Tayuya appeared shocked for a moment before a twisted snarl showed on her countenance.

Naruto didn't want to hear what she had to say; he speedily strolled passed the furious girl and left the restroom, coming in contact with the twins. Sakon and Ukon were so astonished to see the blond without their friend that they didn't react until Naruto had disappeared from the hallway. Naruto listened as the pair of males chased after him, his feet guiding him outside of the ballroom. The chilly wind caused goose bumps to appear on his skin as he ran, but he didn't care. He just wanted to leave. He felt violated and humiliated, if one could believe it.

Oblivious to his surroundings, Naruto didn't see the hand emerging from the darkness behind him. His scream was muffled as a palm covered his mouth. He was then pulled into one of the hotel's alleys, struggling.

He was just about to bite whomever's hand was cupping his lips when a familiar voice said, "It's me, idiot."

Naruto let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding as Sasuke released him. "Thank God it's you. I thought someone was trying to mug me."

The raven snorted as he stepped closer into the minimal light from the moon. "Like I would let that happen."

"You're like a lifesaver," Naruto remarked, his face softening at the other's kind tone.

Sasuke's expression became cold. "I know. I was there when that girl and those twins followed you to the restroom. I was just about to come and get you, but you sensibly ran out before I could. I exited from the other direction to intercept you."

The tanned teen's face fell, believing Sasuke was going to go off on him. "W-Whatever you're thinking, it didn't happen! Okay...maybe, it did happen, but it wasn't my fault! She was the one who came onto me in the first place. I tried to push her off of me, but she couldn't take a hint. She was—" Naruto's rant was interrupted when Sasuke placed his lips on him. The kiss was so intense that Naruto's head spun more than it had previously.

After a few minutes of their tongues battling, Sasuke broke off the kiss to stare at the other tenderly. "I just had to fall in love with the one person who talks too much."

A record player in the blond's mind scratched as the younger played back Sasuke's words. "Wait, wait, wait! Did you just admit you...love me?"

"And if I did?"

_My heart is about to beat right out of my chest. _"Then I think I owe you another kiss." Naruto smiled so wide it hurt, lunging upward to capture the moist lips of his boyfriend.

"Come on," Sasuke motioned with his head once the mind-blowing kiss had ended. "I want to give you your birthday present." The raven took the other's hand and strode out of the alleyway.

"That wasn't it?" Naruto seriously asked, referring to the confession and kiss. His heart was still thumping on his ribcage.

"Not even close," said the raven, directing Naruto to the front entrance of the hotel.

"You want to...hear something funny? I didn't even open the other gifts people bought me."

"Hn, who cares about them?"

"Sasuke!"

The hotel's lobby was an abundant area filled with expensive furniture, marble floors, high ceilings, an elongated check-in on the sides, cream-colored walls and huge windows. The carved art on the upper level were marvelous paintings of white clouds and cherub children with wings and arrows. Naruto glanced at the art as he woozily trailed behind Sasuke to enter the steel elevators.

Sasuke pushed the button to the last floor of the hotel. They watched as the electronic numbers on the top of the bronze perimeter beeped from '1' to '55' in its promptness. With the doors opening after the elevator had reached the fifty-fifth level, Naruto and Sasuke stepped off the platform and stalked to the right. The older teen rummaged in his pocket to take out a key card. The boys then stopped in front of a double door encased with a granite frame.

Sliding his card through the slot, the door made a confirmation sound before the barrier opened to reveal a 1,080 square foot suite consisting of a king-sized bed, full kitchen, a walk-in closet, and a deluxe bathroom. On the kitchen's sandstone counter were six tall boxes of ramen noddles and also various cookies of all kinds. The floor was carpet, a rich flame color; the wallpaper was white; the curtains were ornately stitched; and there were several different canvases framed around the room. In one word the suite was...

"...Beautiful," Naruto breathed in thankfulness, his drunk mind clearing even more.

The black haired boy closed the doors prior to him stalking behind Naruto to wrap his arms around the younger's waist. "I take it I did well?"

Naruto spun around in Sasuke's arms, giving him a chaste kiss. "You did great."

Sasuke looked pleased himself until a bad thought came to his mind. With his usual impassiveness, he said. "I'm sorry I left you alone. I had wanted to surprise you with the ramen, that's where I had been. If only I had done this earlier—"

Naruto touched the other's lips with his hand to halt his remorseful declaration. "You came back, that's what counts. Hell, you even rescued me! I know you're annoyed at me sometimes, but I want to let you know that I...I love you too, I really do."

Sasuke's face changed into a half smile before sealing their lips into another kiss, one worth more than a thousand words.

_Maybe my birthday won't be so bad, after all!_

* * *

**Is getting the ramen the only reason Sasuke paid for a hotel room? Hmmm...**


	13. 12: It's Your Birthday, Shorty! Part III

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

12: It's Your Birthday, Shorty! Part III

O-0-O-0-O

_"How long have we been stuck in here?" _

_Sasuke gave a side peek to the brighter haired teen whom had asked the question before glancing down at his silver wristwatch. Even with the two encased in the slight darkness of the closet, the illumination coming from the watch's face gave the raven enough light to tell the time. It was a little after two o'clock in the afternoon._

_"About an hour or so," Sasuke returned stoically. "If you spent your money on a watch instead of on that ridiculous noodle dish you consider food, you would've known that." _

_A hint of red appeared on Naruto's cheeks as he stood up from his crouched position to point an accusing finger at the Uchiha. "Hey, don't diss the ramen, man! Ramen is like the almighty gift of delicacy from the Gods!"_

_Sasuke stared back at the other without an expression for several seconds prior to asking. "Do you even listen to yourself talk?" Naruto sputtered indignantly, trying to think of a comeback as the blush in his cheeks traveled to the rest of his face. "What, you don't have anything more to say, dope?" Sasuke finished with a triumphant smirk._

_"You are such an asshole! You can't even go a few minutes without wanting to start a fight with me!" The younger of the teens shouted, kicking at the countless equipment on the floor. "I will never understand what Sakura sees in you!"_

_The mention of the pink haired girl's name caused Sasuke to grind his teeth, an unfounded jealousy rippling in his gut. The Uchiha still couldn't fathom why he would react negatively every time Naruto said Sakura's name, but he did. "Why do you always have to bring her up? I don't even _like_ her, and I never will."_

_Naruto's eyes widened at the amount of venom spewing from Sasuke's words before his countenance reverted back to anger. "Why do you always have to insult me?! You know how much _I don't like that_!" he retorted loudly._

_At this point, Naruto and Sasuke were but a few inches from the each other's faces, the dark haired teen having stood up as well. The pulse of electricity that endlessly passed between the duo increased as the air around them became thicker with their heavy breathing. Unconsciously, Naruto licked his upper lip, realizing belatedly that his tongue had also swiped over Sasuke's own lips. __Sasuke gasped at the tingling sensation from the contact, inwardly glad that the flush raising in his face couldn't be seen well. _

_The two continued looking at each other until the Uzumaki teen released an embarrassed huff of breath, crouching back down to where he had been beforehand. "I hate this," he muttered bitterly after a while. "Being stuck in this closet is driving me crazy. You would think they would've noticed us being gone by now."_

_Sasuke waited for his breathing to calm before he sat beside the blond. He then said, sincerely. "I'm sure they'll find us soon."_

_"I really hope so," Naruto uttered with sigh. "My body's still sore."_

_"Hn, it's fine," assured Sasuke, his left hand planting itself on the blond's shoulder, soothingly._

_Naruto gaped at the pale appendage as Sasuke then began rubbing patterns on his shoulder previous to looking at his best friend, his heart thumping in his chest at the raven's heated stare. He always wondered—not for the first time nor the last—why the raven would insult him one minute only to comfort him the next. _

O-0-O-0-O

The shrill ringing of his cellphone was what woke Naruto up on Sunday morning, his golden lashes blinking as he tried to rid himself of his sleep shrouded mind. The hotel room he and Sasuke were currently occupying was barely covered in an orange glow, the light from the outside having yet to reach the entire space. Stretching out his near nude form upward, Naruto then grabbed his electronic device from the desk, being careful to not awaken the other body lying down beside him in bed.

"Hello?" he answered sleepily, yawning afterward.

"Happy Birthday, kiddo!" a loud, older, and familiar voice spoke from the other line.

"Gramps?" Naruto said in a low voice. "Why are you calling me at..." he used his fingers to exit from the call log of his menu to peer at the time on his phone. "...seven-oh-two in the morning to wish me happy birthday?" He finished, returning back to his call.

Naruto could imagine the 'grown-person pout' his grandfather may have sported as the elderly man intoned with, "You teens these days are so disrespectful. When someone wishes you a happy birthday, you're supposed to say 'thank you'."

"Thank you," the blond grudgingly said with a roll of his eyes. "But you know you could've called me later, right? Like this afternoon, maybe?"

Jiraiya let out a boisterous laugh. "Well, I _could _have done that, but I've been up since four in the morning collecting data on my research. I figured I ought to call you since I was up anyway." _Only this crazy pervert would be up at four a.m. 'researching' for his next book,_ the blond couldn't help but think as his grandfather continued. "I also wanted to know if you got your grandma's message about stopping by today."

"What message?"

"She left a message on your cell number about your parents sending a package and about you visiting us today. Didn't you get it?"

_Damn, I forgot to check my messages. _"Oh, right, that message," he faked a laugh. "Um, sure, okay, I'll stop by, if you want."

"Good," the famous author proclaimed in a happy tone. "Your grandmother and I rarely get to see you anymore, and it would be nice to celebrate your birthday with you."

"If you say so," Naruto mumbled, rotating his right shoulder to loosen some tension. "But you know how I feel about my—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, kid," the older Namikaze dismissed with a chuckle. "You hate your birthday, it's always the worst day of the year, yadda yadda..."

Naruto was just about to make a comment when he felt a hot, wet tongue lick a line from his lower backside all the way up to his shoulder blades. The said teen released a shivering gasp, spinning around to see a smirking Sasuke stroking his bare sides.

"You okay, kid?" asked Jiraiya when a full minute had passed without the whisker marked teen saying anything.

"I'm...I'm okay, grandpa," Naruto stuttered as his raven boyfriend proceeded to suck on his collarbone.

"You sure?" the older man inquired, oblivious to the fact that his grandson had been pushed on the bed to lie on his back while Sasuke littered the blond's chest with sultry licks and kisses. Naruto hissed through his teeth once Sasuke sucked the pink nub of Naruto's nipple into his mouth, unaware that his grandfather could hear the noises they were making. "Wait, are you getting laid? Getting some birthday lovin'?"

Naruto, whom initially was enjoying the ministrations bestowed upon him, opened his eyes wide. He clutched the cell that was still attached to his ear in a harsh grip. "No, no, gramps, that's not—"

"Say no more," the older male interrupted with an excited giggle that was probably inappropriate for a man his age. "I'll give you and your secret lover some _privacy_. See you later, lover boy!"

Naruto groaned in frustration—because of both his grandfather and boyfriend—as he was met with a dial tone and slapped Sasuke on the top of his head to get the other to stop. He ignored the annoyed glare he received from the Uchiha as he sat up to properly end his call on his mobile.

"Perverts," murmured the blond. "The both of you." Naruto eyed his boyfriend almost sexily.

Sasuke's glare morphed into a seductive smirk. "You love it, though," he whispered. "And you love me. You said so last night."

Naruto's skin on his face lit up to resemble a ripened tomato, his brain recalling the events of last night when he and Sasuke had confessed their love for one another.

Snatching the pillow that was underneath him, Naruto then covered his blushing face with the cotton material, the emotion of mortification bubbling on the surface. "You're always embarrassing me!" He yelled through the pillow, his words muffled.

"How am I embarrassing you now? We're the only two here," Sasuke spoke, lifting the pillow from his blond lover's face.

"You just are." The Uzumaki had his red face turned away, trying to avoid the older's beautiful obsidian irises.

Wanting to see the other boy's marvelous countenance, Sasuke lowered his hand to Naruto's cheek, coaxing the other to turn his face back to his. The colors of cerulean and onyx clashed together wonderfully, and the look was enough to make Naruto relax his mind and body.

"Mine," the raven stated softly as he lowered his body to kiss the blond. "You're all mine now."

Naruto whined into the other's mouth as Sasuke's tongue wrapped around his lovingly, the feel of that silk muscle causing the Uzumaki to pant, and for his boxers to tighten in arousal. The couple continued to kiss for the next ten minutes, seemingly lost in their own little romantic world. Reluctantly, Sasuke withdrew his tongue from his boyfriend's mouth, lastly giving him a chaste kiss on the lips.

"So, would you _really_ be willing to give me some 'birthday lovin'?" Sasuke questioned teasingly, once again stroking Naruto's sides.

Naruto peered upward, his blue eyes shining with nerves. "I'm still not sure about all this. I mean, I want to but...I don't want to rush into this like we did the last time."

"Then we'll go as far as you're comfortable with. It is _your_ birthday."

Naruto glanced to the side, seemingly in thought before saying in a whisper. "I want to feel your fingers inside me."

An involuntary chill ran up and down the Uchiha's spine as he practically engulfed the other's mouth, the kiss more passionate than the one before. Naruto moaned again as Sasuke kissed him, their tongues caressing in a gliding motion of wetness and heat. Neither one of the boys wanted the moment to end.

Almost crazily thrilled with Naruto's demand to touch him in such an intimate place, Sasuke used his hands to roam all over the firm body of the tanned male. Sasuke's fingers began to slide downward to brush up against the hem of the Uzumaki's orange boxers.

Without waiting for permission, Sasuke slipped his hand inside his lover's underwear, his index finger rubbing the head of Naruto's member. Naruto closed his eyes at the sensation, his head tilting back at the erotic stimulation.

The raven teen watched Naruto's face intently, enjoying the looks of ecstasy as Naruto's face contorted with lust, rapture, excitement, and affection. The blond moaned loudly at a particular curl of Sasuke's finger on his heated flesh. Naruto knew he wouldn't be in control of his body if his boyfriend kept it up.

"P-Please stop t-teasing me," Naruto shuddered in pleasure.

Sasuke rubbed Naruto for a few more seconds prior to adjusting his hand to pass even lower into the younger's backside. Naruto's mouth opened wide as the raven's digits prodded and probed him before pushing inside of him. With Sasuke's one, then two fingers thrusting in, Naruto climbed closer and closer to his climax.

Scissoring his fingers to further open the entrance, Sasuke was caught off guard as he pushed on a spongy gland and was rewarded with a near scream. _Found his sweet spot, _the dark haired teen mused smugly, thrusting his digits even more into Naruto. And after shoving his fingers in the same place nonstop, Naruto reached his high with a yelp, spilling himself all over his quivering belly.

Sasuke smirked, quite pleased with how he was able to cause his boyfriend to go over the edge. "I love the little expressions you make."

"B-Bastard," Naruto quipped in a puff, his words not having any real bite to them.

Sasuke chuckled before leaning down to whisper into Naruto's ear. "Can we keep going?"

"Actually, I'm good," said Naruto with the last of his pants, his eyes landing on the bulge in Sasuke own boxers. "But what about you?"

"Hn. I'd be more than happy for you to return the favor."

O-0-O-0-O

After their little romp on the bed and hours later in the shower, Sasuke and Naruto then left their hotel room, the former paying an attendant to collect all of Naruto's gifts, including his own. The two males rode down the elevator to the fifteenth floor, making their way to one of the most illustrious eateries in the city.

The hotel's restaurant was of course as luxurious as the rest of the structure. The inside of the eatery was painted a healthy burgundy, with as many as fifty tables and booths situated around the extensive square footage. Sounds of chatter, laughter, and movement met the couples' ears as Sasuke and Naruto ambled to one of the seven rectangular tables in the restaurant.

The mentioned table had been reserved for the 'Rookie Twelve' (as Naruto liked to call them) of Seasonal Leaf Academy for a celebratory brunch, courtesy of all the friends pitching in with their own currency. The pair of lovers were the last to arrive, taking a seat next to each other as a waiter stalked to their table to write down their meals.

"Where did you two disappear to last night?" Ino asked Sasuke and Naruto curiously as soon as the waiter walked away from their table.

Seeing as though Sasuke would refuse to answer the inquiry, Naruto opened his mouth to respond, yet fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how one looked at it) Kiba beat him to the punch. "Knowing those two, they got in a fight, made up minutes later, and then scoured the area holding hands," the dog-boy proposed with a howling laugh. Kiba's reply was met with double strikes to the head by Sakura and Ino.

Naruto willed away the upcoming flush to his face; his brunette friend's words weren't far off, after all. He was once again going to speak with a harmless retort when he was cut off for the second time.

"Shut up , Kiba!" the girls screeched in unison.

Rubbing his head to ease the pain, the Inuzuka said sullenly. "Why do people always tell me to shut up?"

"'Cause you tend to speak before you think about what you're saying," Shino answered his friend simply.

"'You're also too loud," Neji said apathetically.

"Who asked you, pretty boy?" Kiba growled in response, prompting some of the customers to turn their heads to the twelve friends' table.

"You just did, you imbecile," the purple eyed Hyuuga spoke back coolly.

Naruto merely watched in dread as the Inuzuka and a few others went off the handle, many of the patrons looking on with expressions of either outrage or curiosity. _And just when I thought my birthday was actually fun for a change..._

Twenty minutes later, the Rookie Twelve were escorted out of the restaurant for causing a ruckus. The group of friends gradually went their separate ways, with Kiba apologizing profusely for ruining the brunch for everyone.

"You upset?" Sasuke questioned Naruto as he drove the blond to the boarding school to pick up his car from the parking lot.

The Uzumaki male took longer than necessary to answer before he admitted dubiously. "No, not upset so much as irritated. Why do things always have to go wrong on my birthday?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Sasuke disagreed, giving his lover a sexy smirk, a twinkle in his eye. Naruto matched the other's smirk slowly, the morning's activities rushing to the forefront of his mind. Without a single thought, Naruto wrapped his fingers around Sasuke's unoccupied hand, their fingers intertwining in a stunning combination.

O-0-O-0-O

Lunch period the following Monday found the blond walking through the school's hallways in good spirits. The day before, subsequently when his dark haired boyfriend had dropped him off at Seasonal Leaf Academy's parking lot, the blond had driven his own vehicle to his grandparents' humble abode.

Naruto hadn't known what to expect as he entered the foyer of the Namikaze residence, but he sure didn't count on his grandmother throwing gambling chips at him while singing a freaky rendition of happy birthday to him. What made the situation worse was that his lecherous grandpa kept giving him knowing looks and a thumbs up for 'finally becoming a true man'.

"So, who'd you screw, brat?" Tsunade had asked him bluntly after the three had helped themselves to cake at the kitchen table.

"Nobody!" Naruto had yelled in embarrassment. "Gramps is crazy! Why'd you even marry him?!"

He had argued back and forth with the busty blonde haired woman for the next half hour, yet Naruto couldn't find it in himself to be completely rankled with the whole ordeal. Receiving a call from both of his parents, Naruto had then decided to open up their package as he resumed talking to them on the phone.

Minato and Kushina had sent him trinkets, souvenirs, and clothing from their business in Ireland, not to mention a hefty check provided by his father's company. He had thanked them wholeheartedly, speaking with them for an impressive hour about the happenings of his life, except for telling them his new boyfriend's name. And after he had spent another couple of hours with his father's folks, he had then traveled back to his boarding school.

Hence, even with all the weirdness he had had to endure, Naruto could safely say that his birthday this year had been the best so far. All the people he cared about (including some people that he didn't) had been there for him to celebrate, or had at least contacted him, even Gaara and his siblings had sent him a text message.

Trekking passed some of the classrooms in the hall, Naruto's good mood begun to shift as he saw huddles of students giving him varying stares. The girls were either glaring at him, frowning sadly at him, or smiling impishly at him. The males were worst—most if not all were giving him winks, catcalling at him, or just plain laughing at him.

_What the hell is going on here?_

Sauntering into the inside of the cafeteria, Naruto was shocked to see that the staring was even more severe. It seemed as though everybody's eyes were on him. Some of the teens in fact starting clapping as he made his way through the auditorium.

"Yeah, you go Uzumaki!" one male shouted, giving his friend a high five.

"You're the man!" another concurred.

"I think it's just a rumor," a disgruntled female said.

"Me too," a goth girl agreed.

"You two are crazy," a third female said with a roll of his eyes. "He totally won."

Feeling his ears burn with all the needless attention, the blond ambled to the table where a majority of his friends were sitting. Naruto's mouth hung open as he saw that they too were shooting him gazes. Interestingly enough, Sasuke wasn't with them.

Stepping closer, Naruto began unsteadily, "Uh, hey. What's going on? I'm pretty sure I didn't do anything this time."

Sakura, whose emotions were ranging between being upset and in disbelief, was the first to speak. "Is it true?"

"Is what true?" Naruto blinked in confusion.

Kiba, with a wolfish grin, said slyly. "That you finally lost your V card, dude?"

Naruto's face paled as his breathing increased and his blood pressure rose. _Did someone find out about me and Sasuke? Maybe they saw us head up to the hotel room that night! Oh, shit. Oh, shit. oh, shit. Ohshitohshitohshit...!_

Seeing the stunned look on the Uzumaki's face, Kiba's wolfish grin changed into a lopsided smirk. "So, you finally did it, eh? It's not just rumors?"

Hinata, whom had looked away when Naruto had first walked up to them, peered back at the blond, a sheen of tears in her transparent orbs. Before Naruto had a chance to speak, the said girl stood up from her seat and sprinted in the other direction.

Naruto wanted to ask about why Hinata was reacting that way, but an arm wrapping around his shoulder broke him out of his questions. "I knew you had it in you," the dog lover stated, standing beside him. "I ain't gonna lie to you though, I thought for sure Sasuke was gonna beat you to it, but you proved me wrong." Kiba's face suddenly appeared serious as he asked, "I don't really have to buy you ramen for the rest of the year, do I?"

A whole slew of feelings warped around Naruto's head; he could actually sense a panic attack wanting to set in. And because the only way he knew how to deal with these feelings was through anger, the boy exploded: "Who the fuck is saying I had sex?!"

With another wolfish smile, Kiba said, "I should have known you'd be into redheads, seeing as though you were into Sakura for all those years," before guiding Naruto's body to the back part of the cafeteria. Naruto could literally feel his insides freeze as he stared back into Tayuya's and her twin cohort's amused faces.

* * *

**I know, I know. I'm horrible for waiting more than a year to update only to leave you well..._cliff_hanging. But at least you readers got some 'birthday lovin'/lime for your enjoyment. :)**


	14. 13 Rumors Have It

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

13: Rumors Have It

O-0-O-0-O

Hurried feet connected to the athletic legs of one Sasuke Uchiha ambled through the near empty hallway, the mass of students were either on their way to the cafeteria or they were already there. Sasuke couldn't have cared less about anybody else though; he only wanted to see one person. _Naruto..._

Glancing down at his wristwatch to see the time, Sasuke then scowled in annoyance, hurrying his walking even more. He had already missed half of his lunch break conversing with one of his more _obsessive_ teachers who had called him back to class to praise him on another intricate project. As though he needed to be told how great he was every other second of the day.

As he reached the double doors to the auditorium, Sasuke could feel pairs of eyes watching him, almost scrutinizing him. Peering to his right, the black haired male noticed a few girls staring at him, whispering to each other in hushed voices. The girls were real quick in shutting their mouths once Sasuke gave them the maximum Uchiha glare.

Satisfied with their reactions, Sasuke then opened the door and came into the cafeteria. An unsettling silence suddenly overcame the entire dining hall at his entrance. Sasuke frowned at the quiet, making his way to the table where most of the Rookie Twelve were seated. The Rookies' faces were multitudes of different emotions—ranging from disbelief to anxious, and yet all Sasuke could focus on was that there was one face missing among the group. _  
_

Sasuke's eyebrow rose in intrigue as he witnessed Sakura, Ino, and Tenten consoling a teary eyed Hinata. "Hn, where's Naruto?" he asked rather coolly, disregarding the various looks shot in his direction.

Hinata released a choked sob, but it was Ino who opened her mouth. "Didn't you hear?" she inquired to Sasuke, overlooking his question. He gave her a blank stare as she took a long pause, his eyebrow rising higher. "Naruto lost his virginity to some girl named Tayuya on his birthday, and Hinata's clearly upset over it. Poor thing," she cooed to Hyuuga girl, rubbing her back. "She's liked Naruto for years."

Clenching his teeth at the mention of Hinata's crush on Naruto and that someone was making up rumors about his boyfriend, Sasuke hissed, "That doesn't answer my question. Where. Is. Naruto?"

Ino appeared disgruntled with the raven's tone, yet this time it was Kiba who replied. "Foxy disappeared with that hot Tayuya chick a couple of minutes ago. They probably went to go make out or something." Both Sakura and Ino socked the dog boy in the head for his insensitivity.

Sasuke spun on his heel at the Inuzuka's admittance, ignoring the many things that were being said about him as he exited the cafeteria. Turning two corners on the north side of the cafeteria, Sasuke found Naruto sitting against the far wall, his knees to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. The raven was glad that no other girl was present, but the thought that some slut might have been near disturbed him.

"So, this is where you decided to hide?" the Uchiha said, stopping in front of his blond.

"I wasn't hiding," Naruto grumbled, his usually boisterous voice more subdued.

"Right," Sasuke quipped, bending down so that he was at eye level with the other. "Tell me who Tayuya is," he demanded hotly, getting straight to the point. "Is she that bitch that was humping you on the dance floor?"

Naruto looked back at the older, sadly. "So you know, huh? Are you mad at me? I told you nothing happened—"

"I know _nothing_ happened. I saw how she and those two followers of hers cornered you in the restroom."

"Oh. Then why are you even asking?"

Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose, a headache beginning to form. "I want to know who was stupid enough to spread such a rumor about you. Was it her?"

"I followed her and those other guys here and tried to ask, but they just smiled at me. It was really creepy, especially since she mentioned you before she walked away."

"What she say?" questioned Sasuke with a frown on his face. Why would that Tayuya girl even mention him? Was she secretly another fan girl of his?

"Something about you and your family, and how she plans to bring you down. You didn't do anything to her, did you, Sasuke?"

Sasuke felt an unreasonable anger bubble up in his chest. How dare the blond ask him such a thing! "_Do?_" he repeated curtly. "I didn't do anything! I don't even know the girl. The first time I became aware of her existence was the night of your party."

"You don't have to bite my head off; I was just asking!"

Sasuke counted to ten in his head, trying to decrease his anger. If he was to blow up now, someone might come to investigate, and he didn't want that. "I know," he accepted grudgingly, as close to a sorry as the blond was going to get. "I'm just annoyed." _And I'm a bit peeved that some nobody is threatening me, _he decided to keep that thought to himself.

_Like I haven't heard _that_ before, _Naruto mused in his head. "You're not the only one," the blond agreed. "I went from having a good day to having a...well, more sucky one."

"If this is about the rumors, they'll die down so enough—"

"It's not just the rumors, Sasuke."

The raven took a long look at his boyfriend, noticing how utterly defeated he appeared. "Tell me what's bothering you then," he seemed to demand for a second time.

"Sasuke," Naruto started, almost shyly, cheeks flushing a healthy crimson. "Did you know that Hinata likes me?"

Sasuke froze in outrage with the younger's words. He didn't want to have this conversation. "_That's _why you're sulking like a baby? Because of some pathetic girl's alledge crush on you?"

Naruto glared at him. "Not the time to be jealous, bastard. Hinata doesn't deserve your wrath. She's a nice girl. And, no, I'm not _sulking, _or _hiding_, or doing any of _that_. I just came here to think." Sasuke was about to speak, a smug look on his countenance. "And yes, I actually am capable of thinking!"

Sasuke kept the same superior look for several seconds before his expressionless mask appeared. "I'm sure that girl—Hinata will be fine. Time will heal her." He _really _didn't want to have this conversation again, _ever. _His...nice words pertaining to the Hyuuga made him cringe.

Naruto snorted. "That doesn't answer my question, but I know you too well. You knew, just like everybody else. Am I really that oblivious?

"Yes," came the automatic answer.

"Way to make me feel better," the tanned teen pouted. "As if Sakura, Ino, and Tenten hadn't made me feel worse."

"I take it they were the ones who told you before I came?"

"More like Tenten yelled at me before Sakura and Ino hit me over the head."

"Hn, dope."

"But seriously," Naruto continued, rising from his sitting position. "How was I supposed to know that Hinata likes me? She was rooting for me when you and I started the bet. Why would she—?"

"I'm tired of talking about that girl, Naruto," Sasuke interrupted icily, standing up as well. "Just leave it alone. It's over with."

Naruto quaked in indignation, ready to give the Uchiha a piece of his mind. His train of thought changed, however once he saw the crossed look on Sasuke's face. "I'm sorry," he finally stated, feeling reasonably bad. "I didn't mean to rub it in your face."

Seeing the blond and his blue eyes filled with genuine remorse and adoration, Sasuke relaxed his body and mind. "It's fine. I know you weren't doing it on purpose. And...if it's really bothering you that much, take the time to talk to her."

It pained Sasuke to say these things, but fact of the matter was, Sasuke had been very aware of Hinata's crush on Naruto. Yet, since the purple haired girl had never made a move, and Sasuke had ignored her otherwise, he figured he had all the right in the world to make Naruto his.

Internally gushing at the rising flush on Sasuke's face, Naruto leaned forward and chastely kissed the other's lips, unable to help himself. Sasuke had looked too cute just then. Sasuke was startled with the movement, his onyx eyes glinting with an unknown emotion.

"I couldn't resist," Naruto said with a chuckle, answering Sasuke's unspoken question. "Even under that bastard exterior, you can still be such a sweetheart."

Sasuke had an urge to roll his eyes. "Be aware of your surroundings next time, moron."

Naruto felt too giddy to rise to Sasuke's insult like he normally would. "Nobody's around, so it's okay. Besides, weren't you the one who groped me in the middle of the hallway that one time?"

Sasuke smirked, sauntering away from the wall. "Be aware of your surroundings," he reiterated before changing the subject. "Let's go finish lunch. I need to have food in my system for football practice later today."

"Am I invited again?" the blond teased, falling in step with Sasuke.

"Be my guest."

And with that, the two made their way back to the cafeteria. They still had their worries, but for the time being the couple pushed them to the back of their minds. Unbeknownst to the teens, there _had_ been someone around, hiding behind a corner. The said person hadn't seen the kiss, but had heard most of the boys' conversation.

O-0-O-0-O

The falling lights from the football field hit Naruto's back at an angle that would cause him to feel its heat. Naruto didn't mind the heat despite that. The October breeze blowing in the wind more than made up for the hot temperature on his body.

Leaning forward in his chair, Naruto watched as the players went from their typical drills to a play-by-play strategy. Seasonal Leaf's team, from what Naruto had heard, was practicing for one of their last games of the season, against a team three cities away.

Eyes riveted on the movement of the players, the Uzumaki tried and failed to ignore the various giggles that would at times be directed at him. Since he had entered the stadium, the girls that had been in attendance had paid too much attention to him. What was worse was that Ino and Sakura were sitting behind him, shaking their heads in disappointment. It got to the point that Naruto was ready to scream.

"You would think you would like the attention," a familiar voice teased on the other side of him.

Naruto gave a half smile as Karin came around to sit next to him. "You would think so, yeah," he agreed amicably. "I thought you weren't going to show up. You're usually here earlier than this."

Squirming in her chair a bit to get more comfortable, Karin responded, "I almost didn't. I haven't been feeling all that well in the last couple of weeks."

Taking a good look at the redheaded girl, Naruto did note that she appeared paler than usual and that the uniform she was wearing wasn't quite fitting her properly. "You _do _look tired."

Karin nodded her head, yet even that seemed too much for her. "I've even been throwing up lately, how weird is that?" A horrible realization started appearing in her mind as she said the words.

"Ew, Karin, T-M-I," Naruto wrinkled his nose, his joking tone clear. "Not that I'm happy to see you sick." Giving a quick glance at the girl, he was surprised to see that she had paled further. How that was possible, Naruto didn't know. "Are you okay?"

Gaining her composure after a tense couple of minutes, Karin smirked shakily at him. "Yeah, sure."

Naruto gave her an incredulous look. "I hope so. Maybe you should go see a doctor."

"Maybe..." she concurred absentmindedly.

Momentarily frowning at Karin's reply, Naruto then glanced back at the players on the field, although his mind was on other things. What Karin didn't know was that Naruto had come to the same conclusion that she had about her strange ailments. And the thought was bothersome; Naruto just hoped he was wrong about this one._  
_

During their exchange, Ino and Sakura watched them very closely. Somehow, Naruto had gotten friendly with the redhead over the last several weeks, and for one reason or another, it irritated the pink haired girl and her blonde haired friend. He was more open with Karin than he had been with either one of them.

After a whole five minutes of silence, Karin spoke up with a question. "So...the rumor about you and Tayuya, true or false?"

Naruto sputtered at the unexpected query, causing Karin to giggle behind her hand. "What-Why...Why would you ask me such a thing?!" He pointed his finger at her for good measure.

The bespectacled teen just shook her head. "Just curious."

"Can't you be curious about something else?" he whined, aware that all the girls, minus Ino and Sakura, were watching them with amusement.

"That's a false, then," she concluded to herself, smirking again.

"What? I didn't tell you whether it was true or false!"

"Didn't have to."

Naruto muttered to himself, crossing his arms over his chest before an idea settled in his head. With a mischievous twinkle in his eye, the teen asked a question of his own. "So...if you're not Sasuke's fan girl anymore, why do you still come to his games?" Karin gasped, turning her head to see the blond put on a thoughtful pose. "Unless...you're here for someone else?"

"Get real," Karin uttered with a blush, pushing on Naruto's arm playfully. "I just enjoy the games, that's all." Naruto laughed at her in response.

Still watching Naruto and Karin banter, Ino leaned over to Sakura, whispering in her ear. "I wonder if they like each other." The pinkette grimaced at this statement; she wasn't sure why, but she was annoyed with this observation. What if the girl he had lost his virginity to hadn't been Tayuya, but had in fact been _Karin..._?

O-0-O-0-O

It was a little after eight o'clock at night when Sasuke and Naruto walked their way to the latter's dorm room; Sasuke's goal was to walk his blond to the front of his door. Most of the students were in their own dorms, but the few that weren't were swift in giving Naruto their approval, winks and knowing looks thrown at him.

Naruto sighed as they stalked passed a walk way. "I'm so glad this day is almost over."

"You still have the rest of this week to worry about, possibly next week too," the raven nonchalantly voiced.

The whiskered teen sighed again, even louder this time. "Why me?" he asked to no one in particular.

Sasuke rose an eyebrow in disbelief. "I figured you'd welcome this. It'll probably be the only time you will beat me in anything, and it's still over a rumor."

Naruto stuck his tongue out at him. "Jerk."

Sasuke didn't deign the other with a response; he just continued trekking, a haughty air to his walk. When the two were about six feet away from Naruto's dorm, the Uchiha's mouth curled in a sneer, noticing the unwanted visitor leaning against the blond's door.

Tayuya was staring at the boys as they came closer, a wicked smile adorning her otherwise pretty face. Pushing off away from the door, the redhead met them closer to the edge of the stairwell.

Naruto's eyes widened as his color went pallid. "Oh, shit." He was even more horrified to see that neither one of her cohorts were around.

"About time you showed, Uzumaki," said Tayuya, her eyes wandering to a fuming Sasuke. "Uchiha." Her lips gave their own sneer.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Sasuke snapped, his eyes flashing heatedly. Naruto head whipped at the older's harsh tone.

The brown eyed Tayuya scoffed. "I didn't know you knew such language, Mr. Perfect."

Sasuke disregarded her sarcasm. "You're the one that started the rumor," he wasn't questioning her.

Tayuya's countenance slowly released a smirk. "I think we should continue this conversation inside. Wouldn't want anyone listening in now, would we?"

"But my roommate Lee's probably inside!" exclaimed Naruto.

"Then get rid of him," the girl hissed back.

Rummaging in his back pocket clumsily, Naruto afterward took out his card key, using the card to slide through the slot. He opened the barrier a tad, concealing Sasuke and Tayuya from Lee's sight. A shout of 'Youthful Naruto! How are you this fine evening?' was thwarted when Naruto said he needed the room for a half an hour.

Lee bounced his way out of the door, completely missing the two people on the other side of him. Naruto was just grateful that Lee was both kind hearted and absentminded.

Ushering the two inside to avoid any noisy neighbors, Naruto speedily shut the door behind them. "Are you going to tell us what you're doing here now?" The blond teen repeated, his teeth gritting.

Tayuya cackled. "Getting straight to the point. Good," she said licking her lips. Naruto and Sasuke blanched at the sexual display. "Actually, I'm glad I get to talk to the both of you."

"I take it you plan to coerce us with some such nonsense?" asked the Uchiha.

"Of course," Tayuya spoke with a wave of her hand. "But it's not nonsense, it's a proposition. Tit for tat, if you catch my meaning."

Naruto and Sasuke couldn't imagine what the girl had in store for them; all they knew was that whatever she had on her mind couldn't be any good.

* * *

**Three things...**

**1. I am awfully sorry that it took yet another year for me to update this, but like I mentioned on my other story 'Breathless', I have been really sick. And this is the first time in a while that I haven't been working, schooling, and/or in the hospital. Unfortunately, I'll be back to work in a few weeks so I'm trying to update all of my current stories before then. **

**2. This cliffhanger was NOT intentional; I have rewritten this chapter _so _many times, it's ridiculous. **

**3. This will NOT become a NaruKari or a NaruTayu for that matter; these two characters are just moving things along.**


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